Morocco is set to import a substantial quantity of soft wheat, totaling 2 million tonnes, between October 1 and December 31, 2023, as announced by the National Interprofessional Office for Cereals and Legumes (ONICL).
This import initiative aims to offset the adverse impacts of drought on the country’s local wheat production. ONICL revealed in a briefing note that this program received approval from the Moroccan ministries of Finance and Agriculture, and further details regarding subsidies will be disclosed separately.
The decision to embark on this import program comes in the wake of consecutive years of reduced national wheat harvests due to drought conditions. For the 2023/24 season, Morocco had initially launched an import program targeting 2.5 million tonnes for the period of July to September, reported Reuters.
Moroccan millers have also reported importing approximately 100,000 tonnes of wheat from Russia. Traders are anticipating that Russia may expand its market share in Morocco, particularly after the country adjusted its import program to accommodate Black Sea origins. However, the exact volume of wheat imported by Morocco between July and September remains undisclosed at this time.
The domestic milling industry estimated the country’s import requirements for the season to be around 5 million tonnes.
Continuing with import subsidies is also seen as a response to potential shortfalls in wheat receipts from July to September, falling short of the initial target of 2.5 million tonnes.