Elite Agro invests US$38M in 400-hectare Morocco fruit farm
The new project will further diversify the portfolio, with mandarins and avocados among its principal crops.
MOROCCO – UAE-based Elite Agro Holding plans to invest about US$38 million in a 400-hectare fruit farm in Sidi Yahya, Morocco, to produce blueberries, mandarins, and avocados for domestic and international markets, according to the company.
On 6 October, Elite Agro announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID) to establish and develop the farm.
The project represents an investment of AED 140 million (US$38 million), with production intended for Moroccan consumers and export markets.
The announcement follows another milestone in Elite Agro’s expansion in Morocco. In June 2026, the company inaugurated a 200-hectare farm in Kénitra, through its subsidiary Elite Harvest Maroc, dedicated to blueberries and raspberries.
At the time, the group operated seven farms across Morocco and reported cumulative investments of more than AED 500 million (US$136 million) in the country, with Morocco identified as its primary berry production hub.
The Sidi Yahya project shows that Elite Agro’s strategy extends beyond berry cultivation. Across its farms in Kénitra, Sidi Yahya, Fez and Béni Mellal, Elite Harvest Maroc also grows pomegranates, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, grapes, cherries, citrus fruits, persimmons and plums.
Furthermore, the new project will further diversify the portfolio, with mandarins and avocados among its principal crops.
Meanwhile, Morocco’s proximity to Europe shortens transit times for perishable fruit, a decisive advantage for berries and avocados, where shelf life determines market access.
Second, the country’s logistics infrastructure has improved sufficiently to support year-round export programmes rather than seasonal shipments, enabling producers to build multi-year relationships with European retailers.
Moreover, the market opportunity is measurable. According to data compiled by Morocco’s Foreign Exchange Office, the country’s fruit exports generated nearly MAD18.9 billion (US$1.7 billion) in 2024, accounting for almost one-quarter of the MAD81 billion (US$8.1 billion) in total exports of food, beverages and tobacco recorded that year.
Strawberries and raspberries accounted for about 38.5% of fruit export earnings, followed by fresh or dried fruit, frozen fruit and fruit preserved in brine at 36.5%, and citrus fruits at 25.1%.
Finally, for Elite Agro, diversifying into mandarins and avocados, crops with different water and climate requirements from berries, may partially hedge against regional production risks while broadening its export window across the calendar year.
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