The blueberry season in Morocco and Turkey is progressing very well, with vigorous plants and excellent-quality fruit. These were some of the main observations made by Simón Muñoz, international blueberry production advisor at Consultora Agrícola y Comercial Santa María (CASM Blueberries), following his recent visits to production fields in both countries.
As Muñoz reported, between 6 and January 8, blueberry orchards were visited in the Kenitra area, north of Rabat, Morocco.
According to the advisor, the harvest season is beginning in the region, with a good start in terms of fruit volume, very good quality, and good size. “The orchards look healthy and well managed. There is a slight delay in the start of harvest due to weather events in recent weeks, as heavy rainfall caused lower temperatures and some access difficulties in the fields,” he noted.
Despite these conditions, Muñoz added that plant development has been very positive. “The plants have shown very vigorous growth. In particular, the Sekoya Pop variety has shown excellent development in recent years. We are observing plants between 12 and 18 months old with very good fruit load and excellent quality.”
Muñoz explained that work is currently being carried out with North Bay in northern Morocco, providing technical guidelines to optimize the harvest and face this stage in the best possible way. “We will meet again at the end of April and May to follow up and plan the pruning,” he said
Turkey: Young Plants with Outstanding Yields
On Friday, the advisor carried out a technical visit to the fields of Alova Farm, located near Istanbul, Turkey.
“The field shows extraordinary development. These are plants just 7 months old that look like two-year-old plants, carrying between 3 and 3.5 kilos per plant, which is a very high yield for a first harvest,” he highlighted.
Muñoz explained that the orchard is currently in dormancy and that the plants are correctly fulfilling their chilling requirements. “We expect flowering to occur without any problems. The plants look very well balanced, the field is in excellent condition, and all the technical recommendations previously provided have been followed. Therefore, we are projecting a very good yield for this season,” he concluded.
