Morocco Nadorcott Seedless label makes grand debut in Berlin

The Moroccan Nadorcott Producers’ Association (Association des Producteurs de Nadorcott au Maroc – APNM) chose Fruit Logistica, the biggest fruit and vegetable trade event in the world, to launch its new Morocco Nadorcott Seedless label. Kenza Ouali, the Domaines Export marketing chief and the driving force behind the association, explained that “the aim is to assert the natural quality of Nadorcott mandarins, which are naturally seedless, selected naturally and grown in their place of origin.”

The label guarantees a naturally seedless fruit, as Nadorcott is self-sterile and is grown in orchards that are 100% isolated from other citrus orchards and regularly checked to prevent cross-pollination. The label also guarantees a naturally attractive and flavourful fruit with a beautiful flattened shape, smooth skin and intense orange colouring, easy to peel, with a perfect sugar/acid balance and excellent shelf-life, and a late marketing season, from mid-January to mid-May. This fruit is also naturally socially responsible, sustainable and quality-controlled.

The reason for launching the new label at Fruit Logistica – at a stand decorated in natural colours – was to present it to the many buyers from Germany and other countries visiting the fair. The launch will be followed by a wide-ranging communication campaign by APNM and all its members. In 2014/15, nearly 98,800 tons of Nadorcott mandarins were exported to Europe, Russia, the US and Canada, among other markets.

Delassus increases its citrus packing capacity

From its bases at Casablanca and Agadir, this Moroccan company exports 80,000 tons a year of citrus fruit, 25,000 tons of cherry tomatoes and some table grapes, and grows 48 ha of flowers. Its tomato cherries, sold under the Duroc brand, are grown hydroponically in 300 ha of greenhouses. As the nutrient solutions are recycled, 100% of the water the plants do not use can be recycled.

A high proportion of the citrus fruit Delassus sells is also grown on its own farms, which have GLOBALG.A.P., Tesco Nurture, Fair Trade, BRC and ISO 22000 certification. Nadorcott clementines are one of its flagship products. In 2015/16, Delassus expects to export 14,000 tons, against 10,000 tons in 2014/15, mainly to Britain, Russia and Canada.

In 2015, the company opened a new packhouse in Agadir for all its citrus fruits. This facility has been fully operational since October 2015 and is equipped with the latest generation of technology. It can handle 40 tons/ hour of citrus fruit and has obtained Walmart’s ethical certification.

Kantari Group’s passion for quality

The Berkane-based Groupe Kantari is one of the leading exporters in the fruit and vegetable sector. It currently has 4500 ha of citrus orchards and 15 packhouses, certified to BRC, GlobalG.A.P., ISO 9002, HACCP, Tesco, QC 100 and other standards. Its leading product is Berkane clementines, which have enjoyed a Protected Geographical Indication since 2010 and are sold from the end of October to the beginning of January. In 2015/16, the Kantari group exported nearly 30,000 tons of clementines, mainly to Russia (one ship a week), the European Union (Britain, France), the US and Canada.

Khaled Maloum of Groupe Kantari said: “Our top objective is customer loyalty. We create brands for each client. Also, our volume is increasing at the same time as their demand, as new orchards are coming into bearing and existing ones are being rejuvenated. In Russia we work with the three main importers, who distribute our products throughout all the former Soviet Union countries. We are also open to new markets such as Scandinavia, Africa and Asia.”

The group goes to all the major fairs to meet its clients, including Moscow, Berlin (Fruit Logistica) and in 2015, for the first time, Montreal. It also focuses on prices that recognise the quality of its products. After London in 2012 and New York in 2013, in 2014 it received the Arch of Europe quality prize in Frankfurt for its Berkane clementines.

Domaines Agricoles a triple Flavour of the Year winner

Domaines Export, Domaines Agricoles’ export arm, expects to export 30,000 tons of Fine clementines, 10,000 tons of Nour, 35,000 tons of Afourer mandarins, 15,000 tons of oranges and 20,000 tons of early fruit and vegetables (tomatoes, melons, etc.) in 2015/16. In total it expects to market 110,000 tons of citrus and other fruit and vegetables this season, with an export objective of 170,000 tons in the longer term.

Domaines Agricoles has five packhouses located near the growing areas, with a total capacity of 2 million boxes a week. In 2016, the group has already received three awards for the quality of its fruit and vegetables, as three of its products have been named Flavour of the Year: Nadorcott Afourer mandarins for the 7th year running, cocktail tomatoes for the 4th time, and green Charentais melons for the 3rd time.

Willy Mansion, the chairman of Monadia (the company that organises the Flavour of the Year awards), went in person to the Domaines Agricoles stand at Fruit Logistica to explain what the awards are about and why Domaines Agricoles so often wins them.

This article first appeared in edition 143 (May/June 2016) of Eurofresh Distribution magazine. Read more from that issue here: www.eurofresh-distribution.com/magazine/143-2016-mayjune