Rabat – Morocco has announced the extension of a subsidy program covering soft wheat imports throughout this year as a response to drought affecting the country’s produce.
The National Interprofessional Office for Cereals and Legumes (ONICL), said the subsidies for importers will continue from May to December 31.
Reuters cited a statement from the grains agency, which confirmed that more details will be announced soon.
The ongoing subsidies program comes as Morocco has been facing drought for six seasons in a row, prompting concerns and frustration at the national level.
Local authorities predicted the 2024 wheat harvest to decline by approximately 50%, marking another blow to Morocco’s cereal production amid a prolonged drought.
Last week, Morocco’s central bank, Bank Al Maghrib, said Morocco is expecting a slight increase in Morocco’s grain harvest this year.
The bank estimated that Morocco’s grain harvest for the current season will reach 35 million quintals.
This represents a slight improvement from last year’s 31.2 million quintals, but remains significantly lower than the 55.1 million quintals recorded in the 2022-2023 season.
Bank Al-Maghrib also forecasts a 2.5% rise in the agricultural sector’s added value this year, thanks to this anticipated grain harvest and an expected increase in non-grain agricultural production.
To tackle the situation, Morocco announced several measures, including subsidies for imported cereals as well as warning campaigns on the efficient use of water sources.
The latest significant decision came from King Mohammed VI himself, who announced that Morocco will be canceling the Eid Al Adha sacrifice ritual this year, in order to mitigate the sharp decrease in the cattle population.
The drought has gravely affected water sources, and the dam filling rate was stagnant at 28% or 4.5 billion cubic meters as of February.
However, Morocco’s latest rainy weather has slightly improved the situation, raising the filling rate to 33% or over 5 billion cubic meters.
