Morocco targets strong cereal rebound as output set to double in 2025/2026
Favourable rains lift crop outlook, with lower wheat imports expected next season.
MOROCCO – Morocco expects a sharp rise in cereal output in the 2025/2026 season, supported by improved rainfall and wider planting areas.
The country aims to harvest 9 million tonnes of cereals by the end of the current season, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Ahmed El Bouari, Minister of Agriculture, shared this update during the 18th International Agricultural Show in Meknes, which runs from April 20 to 28.
This projection stands at more than double the 4.4 million tonnes recorded in the previous season. Early rains played a key role, as farmers expanded planting areas across the country.
Official data shows that cereal farming now covers 3.9 million hectares, up from less than 3 million hectares last season. Wheat, barley, and maize remain the main crops.
Despite this growth, the expected harvest still falls short of past peaks. Morocco recorded a high of about 11.5 million tonnes in the 2014/2015 season, which shows the sector’s full potential under strong weather conditions.
A better harvest could ease pressure on imports. Data from the FAO shows that Morocco imported an average of 8.8 million tonnes of cereals each year between the 2021/2022 and 2023/2024 marketing seasons.
Soft and durum wheat made up about 63 percent of these imports, followed by maize at 25 percent and barley at 10 percent. Rice accounted for the remaining share.
Industry players now expect a drop in soft wheat imports for the next marketing year. The Moroccan Federation of Millers estimates that the country will import around 3 million tonnes of soft wheat in 2026/2027. This figure marks a decline of at least 40 percent compared to recent averages.
“In recent years, we have imported between 50 and 55 million quintals of soft wheat. With the provisional harvest currently stopped, we should import 30 million quintals of wheat,” said Abdelkader Alaoui, president of the Moroccan Federation of Millers.
Soft wheat remains central to Morocco’s food system, as millers use it to produce flour for bread and other staple foods. A drop in imports could help reduce costs and support local supply chains in the coming year.
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