Russia surpassed France as Morocco’s primary supplier of soft wheat for the 2024/2025 season, Omar Yacoubi, Head of Morocco’s National Federation of Grain Traders (FNCL), told Reuters on Tuesday.
The development comes at a time when chronic drought has significantly impacted Morocco’s domestic wheat production, leading the country to import 5 million tons of soft wheat.
At a grain conference of the French grain exporter Intercereales, Yacoubi stated that France “lacks the necessary quantities” to meet demand. As a result, Morocco has increased its imports of wheat from Russia and other Black Sea countries.
“Given the decline in French wheat exports, we must consider other exporting countries such as Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Poland,” Yacoubi said.
French wheat exporters have been affected by recent changes in the market. Jean François Lapie, representing France’s grain export union stated at the conference that Morocco’s imports of French soft wheat are expected to fall from 2.8 million tons last season to 1.5 million tons this season.
Yacoubi explained that Russia has become the dominant player in the market, describing the country as a “market maker” in the global wheat trade. He also pointed out that Moroccan traders are exploring additional sources of wheat imports, including Argentina and Brazil.
From June to August of this year, Morocco imported 1.5 million tons of soft wheat, with France as the primary supplier, followed by Russia.
Abdelkader Alaoui, Head of Morocco’s Federation of Industrial Millers, stated that stable wheat prices throughout September led to an increase in imports.
He said he hopes Morocco can maintain steady imports through March 2025, with stockpiles currently covering just over three months of demand.