IMARC: Morocco’s Couscous Market is Growing

Rabat – According to the latest report by the IMARC Group, a leading international market research company, Morocco’s couscous market saw a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% between the period of 2014 to 2019.

The report predicts the couscous market will see significant and continued growth over the next five years.

Many attribute the rise in Morocco’s consumption to healthier consumer values. Couscous is a healthier alternative to rice or pasta, containing fewer calories and higher protein and fiber content.

Morocco’s beloved tradition of eating couscous on Fridays after midday prayers stands strong and the introduction of flavored and organic couscous products may contribute to the drummed-up interest.

The increasing number of couscous cooperatives–initiatives intended to directly support workers producing the food product–around the country have also become popular stops on tourist itineraries.

Couscous originated as a North African dish and countries around the world have since adopted and created variants of the traditional meal. Festivals in Europe have been dedicated to celebrating the dish and in 2019 couscous was nominated to earn UNESCO world heritage status.

Couscous, small durum wheat balls rolled in flour and steamed, is typically served in Morocco with a stew of vegetables or meat on top. The grain is well-adapted to growing in hot and dry Mediterranean conditions.

Key players in the competitive landscape of the couscous market include Atlas Couscous, Complexe Alimentaire Zine (CALZ), DALIA Corp., DARI, FORAFRIC MARCO, and KAYNA Group.

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the world, Morocco’s neighboring North African countries are expressing concern over the supply of the staple dish. In similar fashion to the widespread panic buying of toilet paper in the West, Tunisian and Algerian consumers began hoarding couscous at the onset of the pandemic.

Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune reported that the concerns around a shortage were fake news, as his Tunisian counterpart referred to pandemic couscous profiteers as “war criminals.” Both countries are making efforts to crack down on the staple’s black market, while Morocco has managed to avoid couscous conflict.