The Moroccan agri-food sector is growing every season, both in terms of production and market share on the European continent. It is becoming a very serious competitor of Spanish regions, such as the province of Almeria, in vegetable sales.
According to a 2018 study by ICEX Spain Exports and Investments, the agricultural sector contributes 19% to Moroccan GDP and employs more than 40% of the active population. In addition, a high percentage of the rural population – around 75% – works in agriculture.
The latest studies show that, during the 2015/2016 season, the Ministry of Agriculture calculated that overall agricultural production stood at over 30 million tonnes. In the fruit and vegetable sector, production was estimated at over 11 million tonnes.
This food production has been experiencing an increase since 2008, when the Moroccan government approved ‘Le Maroc Vert’ (Green Morocco Plan), which aimed to support agriculture to allow it to contribute to the development of the economy, in view of the importance of this sector in the country.
«Le Maroc Vert»: what it entails
The «Le Maroc Vert» plan was approved in 2008 with the aim of turning agriculture into a driving force for social and economic development in Morocco. It has two main aims:
- The first is focused on modernising the sector as a whole, so that it achieves high productivity and meets the demands of the market. The intention is to develop agricultural exports and industrial activities related to agriculture.
- The other aim is to improve the living conditions of small-scale farmers, fight poverty in rural areas by increasing farming incomes and promote solidarity agriculture by launching several farmers’ cooperatives.
The agriculture market has experienced nothing but growth since 2008.This has led to the creation of agricultural cooperatives, improved cooperation between the State and sector professionals, the mechanisation of agricultural processes and the management of the water economy. The production and quality of agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables has also improved considerably.
Exports in Morocco
The main destination for Moroccan fruit and vegetable exports is Europe, particularly Spain.
Market studies point at Morocco as the largest supplier to the fruit and vegetable import market in Spain. Up until October 2017, it experienced a growth of 36% when compared to the previous year, and it is still strengthening its position year after year.
The importance of packaging at the point of sale
Studies show that more than half of consumers change their choice of purchase at the point of sale, so taking great care over packaging is an essential part of attracting the customer’s attention.
Recently, customers who value the advantages of using Green Box have put their trust in our packaging for importing products from Morocco.
What are the advantages of using Green Box as a packaging system?
It avoids incidents
Its design makes the packaging extremely robust, thereby avoiding problems during transport. Its vertical ventilation keeps the product at its freshest, minimises losses of transported products and saves costs for our customers.
Reduce raw materials
Our products also reduce the amount of raw materials consumed in packaging, compared to other traditional solutions.
Economic savings
Same initial cost as other traditional systems, per kg transported. Green Box has the best tare/useful load ratio on the market. Simplifying the packaging and palletising task (without lower and intermediate pallets) leads to a 10% saving on transport and a resulting reduction in environmental impact.
Store display
Green Box can be used as an in-store display. This avoids re-packaging, improves sales and contributes to better product turnover, as the packaging is kept in more visible places. Less effort is required, in line with European recommendations on the height of palletised load units.
Sustainable Packaging
It protects the environment, a factor that is increasingly required by the customer. All our products are made of sustainable materials, which are easy to repair and reuse, easy to disassemble and easy to convert into other products. One of the key contributions to this environmental improvement is our system of partners throughout Europe, who facilitate the removal of the spent material, thereby contributing to the circular economy system by reducing our environmental impact.