by PressA big harvest of soft wheat is expected in Morocco
Morocco predicts a big grain harvest
Experts predict a big harvest of soft wheat in Morocco, which will reduce the supply of grain from other countries. This is good news not only for buyers but also for farmers. The fact is that for two years, Morocco was dominated by drought, which did not allow the crop to fully develop, resulting in a poor harvest and below the expectations of experts. Now, the local trade association predicts a lot of rainfall, which will favorably affect the ripening of wheat.
Based on this information, the country’s Central Bank has already increased its forecast for economic growth. Analysts estimate that the grain harvest will amount to 9.5 million tons. For comparison, last year this figure was at the level of 3.2 million tons. Moreover, a number of traders expect that the size of the harvest will exceed the forecast of the specialized ministry. In their view, large volumes of grain will significantly reduce the purchase of crops from foreign producers. Traders estimate the size of the harvest at more than 10 million tons.
In 2020, farmers harvested wheat almost 40% less than in 2019, the reason was the drought. Therefore, the need for imports increased last season, which increased 46.3%, to $1.5 billion,
Morocco bought 3.6 million tons of soft wheat, 1 million tons of durum and the same amount of barley. Analysts are not yet able to say exactly how much imports are in store for the country this year. Despite the favorable weather forecast, it is too early to make preliminary calculations.
In Morocco, about 4.2 million hectares are planted with cereals. 40% of this area is covered by soft wheat, 22% by durum and 34% by barley. Thanks to this year’s good rainfall, the crops are germinating evenly, which gives hope for a rich and high-quality harvest.
Typically, Morocco buys 2-3 million tons of soft wheat, with France being the main exporter. The size of the shipment depends on the production volume in the country.
Despite the fact that traders prefer to buy local products, only about 50% of the total crop is delivered to Moroccan factories, which provides a share of 80% of domestic grain needs. The fact is that many farmers hold on to wheat for their own use, resulting in traders having to increase imports. However, the ministry hopes that the expected rich harvest will be able to meet the needs of traders and farmers will sell more grain than usual. Contribute to a favorable forecast and a fairly high level of grain stocks.