Rabat – Morocco is on track to become one of the world’s top six wheat importers in 2024, according to a recent report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
The news comes in the wake of severe climatic conditions that have drastically reduced the country’s wheat production.
The FAO report projects that Moroccan wheat imports will increase by 19% next year, reaching 7.5 million tons.
The substantial spike in imports is driven by a significant drop in domestic production, which is estimated to be about 40% lower than the previous year.
Meanwhile, Morocco’s national wheat harvest is expected to be below average, totaling around 2.5 million tons.
The shift will position Morocco as the sixth largest wheat importer globally, contributing significantly to the rising import demand from the African continent.
Total wheat demand in Africa is anticipated to grow by 2.2%, reaching a record 55.6 million tons.
The report highlights the adverse weather conditions that have affected the wheat harvest in Morocco and other North African countries.
Significant rainfall deficits and high temperatures have severely impacted crop yields. While Algeria’s wheat production is expected to remain stable, Tunisia might see a slight increase.
In Egypt, production is projected to stay close to last year’s high levels. Despite this, Egypt will continue to be the world’s largest wheat importer.
Globally, wheat production is forecasted to see slight stagnation in 2024, with a marginal decrease of 0.1% compared to the previous year, bringing the total to 787 million tons.
The stagnation is mainly due to reduced harvests in several key countries, including the European Union, Ukraine, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland.