Morocco’s semi-preserved food sector, a vital contributor to the nation’s blue economy, is making waves on the international stage. With exports reaching an remarkable 1.537 billion dirhams in 2022, this industry showcases Moroccan culinary expertise and generates valuable foreign currency.
The sector’s flagship products, anchovies and sardines, are renowned for their exceptional quality, a testament to Morocco’s access to premium fishery resources like the highly sought-after Anchovy Engraulis Encrasicolus. This prized fish is a favourite in European and North American markets, solidifying Morocco’s position as the world’s second-largest exporter of marinated anchovies.
In 2022 alone, Morocco exported a staggering 19,369 tonnes of these delicacies, primarily to Southern Europe and the United States. Beyond its economic impact, the sector plays a crucial social role, providing employment for 8,000 individuals and bolstering local economies in coastal regions.
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Despite its successes,the semi-preserved food sector faces important challenges. “The irregular supply of fresh anchovies, coupled with environmental hazards and stock fluctuations, poses a major threat to our production chain,” explains an industry representative. “Furthermore, the high cost of local raw materials compared to imports impacts our competitiveness.”
Regulatory constraints also present hurdles. The national legal framework restricts the use of the same production line for multiple raw materials, hindering diversification efforts. On the international stage, historical competitors like Spain and Italy maintain dominance through strong brand recognition and product valuation.
“The rule of origin remains a major challenge for exporters,” the representative adds.”This rule requires a significant proportion of raw materials to originate from the exporting country to benefit from preferential trade agreements. In Morocco’s case, this is problematic as some raw materials, particularly fish, need to be imported to meet local factory demands. This limits access to international markets under competitive conditions, despite the high quality and recognized expertise of our industry.”
Charting a Course for the Future
To overcome these obstacles, the sector is actively pursuing several initiatives. Product diversification is a key focus, with the introduction of innovative semi-preserved products that combine marinating and curing techniques. Moroccan industrial units are also embracing advanced technologies to enhance product quality and minimize their environmental footprint.
Building a strong brand identity for Moroccan semi-preserved products is crucial to compete with established European brands. Targeted communication campaigns in key markets are being developed to achieve this goal. Additionally, ongoing discussions with relevant authorities and trading partners aim to relax the rule of origin, while strengthening local value chain integration.
Sustainability at the Forefront
Sustainability is a core value for the sector. “We are committed to responsible resource management,” emphasizes the industry representative.”In collaboration with INRH and other partners,we ensure adherence to catch quotas and promote sustainable fishing practices.”
Companies are investing in technologies to reduce water consumption and minimize waste generation during production. The exploration of circular economy solutions, such as valorizing by-products for animal feed or biotechnologies, further demonstrates the sector’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
“These efforts reflect our dedication to aligning economic growth with the Sustainable Growth Goals,” concludes the representative. “We are confident that the Moroccan semi-preserved food sector will continue to thrive, both domestically and on the global stage.”
Morocco’s semi-preserved fish industry is poised for significant growth, according to industry leaders. The sector, a cornerstone of the nation’s blue economy, is focused on expanding its global reach while maintaining its commitment to quality and tradition.
“We have a clear vision for the future of the sector: to consolidate Morocco’s position as a world leader in semi-preserved fish,” a spokesperson for the industry stated. “To achieve this, our ambitions revolve around four axes: increasing added value, strengthening international competitiveness, diversifying markets and supporting innovation.”
This vision includes developing premium, ready-to-consume products tailored to the tastes of consumers worldwide. “Conversely, we must develop premium products, ready to consume, and better suited to the tastes of consumers in target markets,” the spokesperson emphasized.
The industry is also committed to optimizing its operations. “The second axis involves reducing production costs and improving delivery times,in particular by modernizing our logistics infrastructure,” the spokesperson explained.
Market expansion is another key priority. “On the market side, we must explore new outlets in Asia and Latin America, while consolidating our traditional positions in Europe and the United States,” the spokesperson noted.
Innovation will play a crucial role in the sector’s future success. “And ultimately, research and development will play a crucial role in differentiating our products and meeting consumer expectations, whether for quality, sustainability or traceability,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson expressed confidence in the sector’s ability to overcome challenges and achieve its ambitious goals. “That said,the semi-canned sector is a jewel of the Moroccan blue economy,combining artisanal tradition and innovation. We have all the assets to meet the challenges that arise, thanks to the quality of our products, the know-how of our teams and the growing support from authorities and international partners. Together, we can transform these challenges into opportunities and sustainably place Morocco among the world leaders in this industry.”
## Moroccan semi-Preserved Food Industry: Navigating Success Amidst Challenges
**World Today News:** The moroccan semi-preserved food sector, a vital contributor to the nation’s blue economy, is making waves internationally. we spoke with a leading industry representative about the sector’s remarkable growth, the challenges it faces, and the strategies it is deploying for enduring future growth.
**WTN:** Morocco’s semi-preserved food exports reached an remarkable 1.537 billion dirhams in 2022. What are the key factors driving this success?
**Industry Representative:** Morocco possesses a unique advantage in this sector. Our access to premium fishery resources, like the sought-after Engraulis Encrasicolus anchovy, is unparalleled. This, combined with our skilled workforce and centuries-old culinary traditions, allows us to produce sardines and anchovies of extraordinary quality. The resulting, highly valued products have found eager markets in Europe and North America, especially for marinated anchovies, where Morocco is now the world’s second-largest exporter.
**WTN:** While the sector is thriving, what are the significant challenges it faces?
**Industry Representative:** While we celebrate our achievements, several challenges threaten our sustainability. Irregular supplies of fresh anchovies, coupled with environmental hazards and fluctuating fish stocks, pose a constant threat to our production chain.
Moreover,the cost of locally sourced raw materials is considerably higher compared to imports,impacting our competitiveness.Regulatory constraints, such as limitations on using the same production lines for different raw materials, hinder our diversification efforts.
On the international stage, we face fierce competition from established players like spain and Italy, who benefit from stronger brand recognition and product valuation. Lastly, the strict “rule of origin” requirement in certain trade agreements, which necessitates a significant proportion of raw materials to originate from the exporting country, creates a bottleneck for us. This often requires importing some raw materials, limiting our access to preferential markets despite the high quality of our products.
**WTN:** What strategic initiatives are being undertaken to overcome thes obstacles and chart a course for future growth?
**Industry Representative:** We are actively tackling these challenges on multiple fronts. Product diversification is key. We’re introducing innovative semi-preserved products that combine marinating and curing techniques to expand our offerings.
Moroccan industrial units are also embracing advanced technologies to enhance product quality, minimize environmental impact, and improve production efficiency. Establishing a strong brand identity for Moroccan semi-preserved products is crucial to competing with European giants. We are developing targeted interaction campaigns in key markets to achieve this.
We’re engaged in ongoing dialogues with authorities and trading partners to relax the “rule of origin” criteria and strengthen local value chain integration.
**WTN:** Sustainability is increasingly critically important in the food industry.How is the Moroccan semi-preserved food sector addressing this?
**Industry Representative:** Sustainability is at the core of our operations. We are committed to responsible resource management and work closely with INRH and other partners to ensure adherence to catch quotas and promote sustainable fishing practices.
Companies are investing heavily in water conservation technologies and minimizing waste generation during production. We are also exploring circular economy solutions, like valorizing fishing by-products for animal feed or biotechnologies, to further reduce our environmental footprint.
**WTN:** Thank you for providing valuable insights into the Moroccan semi-preserved food sector. Your commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability is truly commendable.We wish you continued success in the global marketplace.
