The Loukkos: Larache's produce region explained
Where the Loukkos is, what it grows, when, and why buyers looking for Moroccan berries, avocados, watermelons and peanuts should know it.
If you buy Moroccan red berries, there is a good chance some of them came from the Loukkos: the irrigated plain around the town of Larache, on Morocco's Atlantic coast in the north of the country.
Where it is
The Loukkos takes its name from the river that crosses the plain before reaching the Atlantic at Larache. The region sits between Kenitra and Tangier, within easy reach of Tanger Med, the port through which much of Morocco's produce leaves for Europe by refrigerated truck.
What grows here
- Strawberries: the region's signature crop, grown under tunnels for a winter and spring season.
- Raspberries and blueberries: fast-growing crops with long seasons under tunnels.
- Avocados: mainly Hass, harvested from late autumn into spring.
- Watermelons: an early-summer crop.
- Peanuts: grown in the sandy soils and stored, so they are available all year.
- Potatoes and other vegetables.
Why it matters for buyers
Everything is close together. Farms, certified packhouses and freezing plants sit within minutes of each other. That keeps the cold chain short, and it means someone on the ground can visit several suppliers in a day.
Fresh and frozen from the same fields. Freezing plants next to the farms turn part of each berry harvest into IQF fruit, so manufacturers can buy all year.
Short route to Europe. Refrigerated trucks reach European markets in days.
Season at a glance
Indicative months for fresh produce (they vary with weather and varieties):
- Strawberries: December to May
- Raspberries: October to June
- Blueberries: December to May
- Avocados: November to April
- Watermelons: May to July
- Peanuts: harvested September to November, available from storage all year
See the full season calendar.
MagriWorld is based in Larache. We visit and check suppliers in the Loukkos for buyers abroad. Tell us what you need.