As the European Union reaches its saturation point for fruit imports and chooses domestic options over those from abroad, Morocco is looking to strengthen its citrus industry through a strategy of export market diversification as the kingdom is reaching out to Eastern European markets. Russia is currently the foremost choice among Morocco’s citrus exporters, who send 44% of their product to Russia each year at a value of $102 million. Looking forward, Russian appetite for the Maghreb’s citrus is set to rise by 50% in 2008. At the same time, Morocco is currently identifying other potential markets on the way to Russia, including other Eastern European markets such as Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. A garden for Russia The burgeoning Eastern European market has changed the nature of Morocco’s citrus export business as Western Europe, particularly France, has moved away from its role from being the leading destination
