MOROCCO AVOCADO CONFERENCE 2026
SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 | TANGIER
Royal Tulip City Center – Tangier
Program
08:00 – Registration
09:00 – Opening Speech
Session 1: Optimizing Avocado Orchard Performance and Resilience
09:30 – The Impact of Abiotic Stress on Avocado Crop Profitability: Agronomic Challenges and Mitigation Strategies
Prometeo Sanchez Garcia
Private Consultant / Mexico
10:00 – Pruning Strategies to Improve Productivity and Canopy Management
Emilio Guirado Sánchez
Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture (IHSM) / Spain
10:30 – Optimizing Pollination to Improve Fruit Set and Yield
Iñaki Hormaza
Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture (IHSM) / Spain
11:00 – Solutions to Avoid Alternance Bearing in Avocados
Gonzalo Vargas
Consultant / Chile
11:30 – Q&A (15 min)
11:45 – Coffee Break & Networking (30 min)
Session 2: Markets, Trade & Global Outlook
12:15 – The Dynamics of the Global Avocado Market and Morocco’s Positioning
Ali Rougui
Morocco Foodex / Morocco
12:40 – Avocado Winter Window Outlook, Logistics & European Retail Dynamics (2022–2025 Analysis)
Fernando Dupuis Grawe
Rio Escalda Consultancy / Belgium
13:05 – Post-Harvest Automation: From Orchard to Market
Jaime Mendizabal
MAF RODA / Spain
13:30 – Panel Discussion: Strengthening the Competitiveness and Resilience of Morocco's Avocado Industry
Ali Rougui, Fernando Dupuis Grawe, Jaime Mendizabal, Yassin Chaib Benaissa
14:00 – Lunch & Networking (1h20)
Session 3: Avocado Orchard Management and Protection
15:20 – Exploiting Avocado Genetic and Genomic Resources to Develop Resistant Rootstocks to Address Key Production Challenges
Patricia Manosalva
University of California, Riverside / USA
15:50 – Managing Red Mites and Thrips in Avocado Orchards
Schalk Schoeman
International Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Consultant / South Africa
16:20 – Effects of Water on Avocado Health and Productivity (Online Presentation)
Ben A. Faber
UC ANR (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources) / USA
16:50 – Q&A (15 min)
17:05 – Feedback & Recommendations
17:10 – Conference Closing