DR ‹ › A shortage of soft fruit is being observed across European markets, where traders report strong demand following quality issues affecting produce from Morocco, alongside Spain and Portugal. In Belgium, Antwerp-based wholesaler Sebrechts Groenten en Fruit says supply disruptions have led to reduced volumes and inconsistent quality, especially for strawberries and raspberries. «You really notice that there is a lot of demand for local soft fruit, because there were many quality problems over the past few months from Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, so everyone was eagerly awaiting the local produce», Ellen Sebrechts, from the family-owned business, told AGF.nl, a Dutch trade outlet for the fruit and vegetable sector. Weather volatility continues to weigh on supply. «The nice weather two weeks ago resulted in more volume, but after a change in the weather, you see the supply immediately halve. Then prices rise again», she added. Quality concerns remain a key issue. «If you look at raspberries alone, for example, we haven't had consistent quality since December», she said. In Morocco, adverse weather conditions this winter, including heavy rainfall, flooding, and strong winds, have disrupted production in key soft fruit regions, leading to lower yields and supply instability. Speaking to Yabiladi in March, red fruit exporters and growers in the Loukkos and Souss-Massa regions said they were still grappling with the aftermath, citing export delays, reduced volumes, quality issues, and unmet contracts as they worked to recover from the damage.
