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Rabat – Experts project a significant spike in imports for the 2024-25 season, according to a report released by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) within the US Department of Agriculture.
Since the close of January, rainfall levels have plummeted well below average, crippling the maturation of crops. This year, the country is facing the sixth consecutive year of sub-optimal perspiration.
Even the belated rains that trickled in during February and March were insufficient to rescue the crops in the southern regions, according to the FAS assessment.
The irregular rainfall pattern will cause wheat and barley yields to plummet far below the norm. With a staggering 45% drop from last year’s figures, wheat production is anticipated to hover at a mere 2.3 million tons.
The outlook for barley is equally grim, with an estimated 52% decline, yielding just 600,000 tons.To avert a potential crisis, the North African nation is bracing for a sharp uptick in imports, as domestic production slides due to adverse weather. The FAS predicts a staggering 52% surge in wheat imports, totaling 7.5 million tonnes, dwarfing Morocco’s ten-year import average.
Meanwhile, domestic importers are attempting to diversify their procurement strategies in response to mounting instability and payment issues with Black Sea suppliers. In the previous season, a substantial 80% of Morocco’s wheat imports originated from European Union nations.
According to the report, barley imports are also projected to soar, with an estimated 1.5 million tons expected to flow into the country, up from 1.2 million tons in the prior year.
Rising gain exports could threaten Morocco’s long-term strategy aiming to reduce the value of imports to narrow the trade deficit.
Read Also: New EU Report: Morocco Faces Deepening Drought Crisis
