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Rabat – By December 2023, Morocco purchased about 81,300 tons of soft wheat from Russia, accounting for a quarter of all imports, according to data by the National Federation of Cereals and Legumes Traders (FNCL).
This amounts to a gain of almost 8,200 tons when compared to almost 80,900 tonnes of Russian wheat received in November.
Nearly 70% of these shipments were unloaded at the port of Casablanca, and the remainder at the port of Nador.
Thanks to these advancements, Russia is now Morocco’s third-largest soft wheat exporter, behind France (89,100 tonnes) and Lithuania (81,901 tonnes).
“Imports vary according to market conditions, most competitive origins, and local market supply needs,” FNCL President Omar Yacoubi told the local media.
“These are the three main parameters we take into account in our daily assessments to determine our choice of suppliers,” he explained.
Between October and December, Morocco’s National Interprofessional Office for Cereals and Legumes (ONICL) established an import refund system on September 13 which enabled the country to buy over 756,700 tons of soft wheat.
This system aims to encourage Moroccan traders to import two million tons of this cereal on the international market between October 1 and December 31, 2023
On November 21, the Office announced that this method will be renewed to allow for the import of 2.5 million tons of soft wheat from January 1 to April 30.
The flat-rate premium, granted by the Moroccan government, corresponds to the difference between the cost price at port exit and the reference import price of 270 dirhams per quintal. It was set at 28.75 dirhams per quintal from December 1 to 31, 2023.
The Moroccan government has allowed a flat-rate premium equal to the difference between the cost price at port of departure and the reference import price, which is MAD 270 ($27) per quintal.
Read also: Russian Wheat: Moroccan Importers Seek to Diversify Supply Sources
