Morocco became Africa’s largest avocado exporter in 2025 after shipments surged sharply, overtaking long-time leader Kenya, as logistics disruptions linked to the Red Sea crisis weighed on exports from East and Southern Africa, according to preliminary data from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
African avocado exports rose 16.7 percent year on year to 430,432 tonnes in 2025, up from 368,845 tonnes a year earlier, the FAO said in its Tropical Fruits Market Review published on Wednesday. The increase reflects strong global demand for the fruit, particularly in Europe, but masked diverging performances among the continent’s main producers.
Morocco, Kenya and South Africa together accounted for more than 75 percent of Africa’s avocado shipments during the year, underscoring their dominance in the regional market.
Morocco emerged as the continent’s top exporter after its avocado shipments jumped 90 percent to about 141,000 tonnes, allowing the North African country to surpass both Kenya and South Africa for the first time.
The FAO attributed Morocco’s strong performance primarily to improved domestic production, supported by favourable weather conditions across key growing regions. The Moroccan Avocado Association (MAVA) said in May 2025 that rainfall patterns and temperatures during the 2024–2025 season were broadly supportive of yields.
Export growth also reflected several years of private-sector investment aimed at expanding production capacity and improving farm productivity. Data from Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests showed that harvested avocado areas expanded by about 40 percent between 2022 and 2024. Over the same period, national avocado production increased by 17 percent while exports rose by 34 percent, according to figures released in April 2025.
Morocco has benefited from its proximity to European markets, which reduces transit times and logistics costs, as well as from investments in cold-chain infrastructure and compliance with international quality standards, analysts say.
Kenya, Africa’s leading avocado exporter for several years, slipped to second place in 2025 after shipments fell 19% year on year to an estimated 105,164 tonnes.
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The decline was driven largely by logistics bottlenecks linked to the Red Sea crisis, the FAO said. The Red Sea is a critical shipping corridor for Kenyan avocados bound for Europe, which remains the country’s largest export destination.
In 2025, attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels intensified, forcing many shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal, the shortest maritime route between East Africa and Europe. Vessels were instead diverted around the Cape of Good Hope, significantly extending voyage times.
“Export potential was constrained by a near doubling of transit times to Europe due to the Red Sea crisis and the resulting surge in shipping costs,” the FAO report said.
Longer shipping times are particularly challenging for perishable products such as avocados, which require strict temperature control and rapid delivery to preserve quality. Kenyan exporters also faced higher insurance premiums and freight charges, further eroding competitiveness.
South Africa, the continent’s third-largest avocado exporter, was similarly affected by the disruption. The FAO said South African avocado exports declined by 6 percent year on year in 2025 to 80,423 tonnes, reflecting higher logistics costs and shipping delays.
Despite these challenges, Africa’s overall export growth broadly tracked global trends. The FAO estimated that worldwide avocado exports increased by about 13 percent in 2025 to roughly 3.3 million tonnes, driven by rising demand in Europe, North America and parts of Asia.
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The organisation said continued growth in African avocado exports would depend on improvements in logistics resilience, investment in cold-chain infrastructure and sustained productivity gains at farm level.
For Kenya and South Africa, easing shipping disruptions and diversifying export routes could help restore competitiveness, while Morocco’s challenge will be to sustain rapid growth amid rising concerns over water use and environmental pressures linked to expanding avocado cultivation.
As global demand continues to rise, the FAO said Africa remains well positioned to expand its role in the international avocado market, provided structural constraints are addressed.
