Berkane clementine

What it is

The Berkane clementine is a seedless citrus fruit of the species Citrus clementina, which may come from only two varieties, the Berkane clone and Nules.¹ Its peel is reddish orange and does not cling to the flesh, which is juicy and contains 40 to 56 per cent juice.² The fruit measures 44 to 65 millimetres in diameter.³

Where it comes from

The protected area is the Triffa plain: bounded to the north by the Mediterranean, to the south by the Beni Snassen mountain range, and to the west by the mountains of the pre-Rif in the province of Nador.⁴ It includes the communes of Boughriba, Schouihya, Zegzel, Aghbal, Laâtamna, Fezouane and Madagh.⁵ Growing, harvesting and packing must take place within this area.⁶

In the irrigated area of the Moulouya in the province of Berkane, citrus fruit grows on more than 19,000 hectares, around 65 per cent of it small-fruited varieties.⁷ For the 2024/2025 season the regional agricultural office of the Moulouya (ORMVAM) estimated the harvest at about 192,300 tonnes, around 60 per cent of it clementines, a large share of them for export.⁸

History

The geographical indication “Clémentine de Berkane” was recognised by Order No. 1357-10 of the Minister of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries of 30 April 2010, published in Bulletin officiel No. 5862 of 5 August 2010.⁹ The application had been made by the Association de l’indication géographique protégée de la Clémentine de Berkane, and the national commission for signs of origin and quality had given its opinion on 26 November 2009.¹⁰ The legal basis is Law No. 25-06 of 2008 on signs of origin and quality for foodstuffs and agricultural and fishery products.¹¹

How it is made

The specification requires the trees to be pruned every year into the funnel shape customary in the area, so that light reaches the inside of the crown; fertilising and irrigation follow soil and leaf analyses and an irrigation calendar agreed with the association of citrus growers and the export groups.¹² The fruit is picked by hand in the early morning, and only when the sugar-to-acid ratio is at least 7.5 and the juice content above 40 per cent.¹³ The fruit then goes through a water bath that prevents spots on the peel (oleocellosis) and preserves the colour, is sorted by hand in packing stations within the area and packed in crates of at most 15 kilos.¹⁴

When

The ripening period runs from early October to early January of the following year.¹⁵ The fruit is considered ripe when the ratio of sugar content (in degrees Brix) to acidity is between 7.5 and 17.¹⁶

How to recognise it

The label carries, in the same field of vision, the wording “Indication Géographique Protégée Clémentine de Berkane” or “I.G.P Clémentine de Berkane”, the official logo of the protected geographical indication and the name of the inspection body NORMACERT.¹⁷ NORMACERT checks compliance with the specification and certifies the fruit of the growers, packers and exporters registered with it.¹⁸