A combination of Jewish agricultural customs and an Israeli-Moroccan normalisation deal has led to a boom in etrog exports from the North African kingdom.
Etrogs, a citrus fruit that has been grown in Morocco for thousands of years, are used during parts of prayers during the week-long Jewish holiday of Succot.
Hundreds of thousands of Moroccan etrogs are imported by global Jewish communities ahead of Succot each year.
Given the importance placed on the appearance of the individual fruits by observant communities, many strictly Orthodox groups opt for the more expensive Calabrian or Diamante Citron etrogs.
However Israel has a host of iron-clad rules when it comes to agricultural imports, and Moroccan etrogs are only permitted entry following the sabbatical year (shmita).
This year forbids agricultural use of Jewish-owned land in Israel. Not all Israeli farmers observe this religious mandate, but producers of ritual foods such as etrogs must if they are to sell such products to observant customers.
The Hebrew calendar year that concluded this Rosh Hashanah was a sabbatical year and thus no etrogs were grown in Israel for the Succot holiday that kicked off on Sunday evening.
While Moroccan imports filled Israel’s etrog gap following the last shmita year, trade was significantly easier this autumn due to the normalisation agreements signed by Israel and Morocco in 2020.
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), Morocco exported around 600,000 etrogs in 2022, a 10 per cent jump compared to the average year.
The highest quality “Aleph Aleph” etrogim, can sell for over the equivalent of $80 in Morocco and higher overseas, the reduced quality quality “Bet” quality etrogim are sold for just $15, while “Gimels” sell for under $10.
Just 5 per cent of Moroccan etrogim are rated Aleph, with 40 per cent being catgeorised as Bet and the rest Gimel.
One local businessman and Agadir-based farmer Hervey Levy, said his farm only produced approximately $30,000 in annual profits.
Prior to the Abraham Accords, Moroccan exports to the Jewish state had to be processed through a third country, making the process lengthier and costlier.
While further trade agreements are yet to be signed by Israel and Morocco, Einat Levi, erstwhile head of economic affairs at Israel’s diplomatic mission to Morocco, said etrog trade would face separate rules due to their religious nature.
“It is symbolic because it shows how two religions can stand up for each other — so when the Jews cannot work their land, their fellow Muslims can supply what they need during that year, so they can keep their ritual and tradition,” she told the JTA.
Morocco’s Jewish population peaked at around 250,000 to 350,000 members in the 1950s, since dwindling to under 2500 as a result of dramatic outward migration.
Over 50,000 Israelis visit Morocco each year and the country is home to the Arab world’s only Jewish museum.
