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Rabat – Morocco has announced an amendment to its wheat import subsidy to allow companies to bring more wheat products from the Black Sea region.
The Moroccan Interprofessional Office for Cereals and Legumes introduced the amendment, encouraging companies to import cereal products from the Black Sea region.
Under the new regulations, companies wishing to import wheat from the Black Sea region can be granted a monthly subsidy if shipments are loaded before the end of this month.
The measure is witnessing a change “unlike previously when ships had to arrive in Morocco by month’s end,” Reuters reported.
An official from the office told the news outlet that boosting imports from the Black Sea region, which includes both Russia and Ukraine, was one of the “reasons” to amend the import subsidy terms.
Morocco is among the countries that rely heavily on cereal imports to meet its consumption needs.
New data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said that the North African country has recorded the largest decrease in cereal production last year.
Morocco has been hit hard by climate challenges, including the worst drought in four decades.
Cereal production for 2022 is estimated at 33 million quintals in the 2021-2022 season, representing a decrease of 67% compared to the previous campaign.
The Ministry of Agriculture attributed the situation to the poor temporal distribution of rainfall, explaining that nearly a third of the rainfall occurred during the months of November and December.
The lack of rainfall in several regions across the country delayed the growth of most cereal crops.
The majority of data suggests that Morocco is set to increase its cereal imports this season.
Morocco’s cereal import requirement is forecast at 10.4 million tonnes, representing 35% more than the average import requirement in 2021/22.
