Morocco to import 3.5 MMT of French soft wheat in 2025/2026
With this forecast, shipments from France could fulfill approximately 64% of Morocco‘s soft wheat requirements.
MOROCCO – Morocco is projected to import 3.5 million metric tons of soft wheat from France during the 2025/2026 marketing year, a move aimed at addressing the nation’s persistent wheat production deficit and ensuring food security for its population.
This anticipated volume, reported by Reuters citing Philippe Heusele, president of international relations at Intercéréales, represents more than double the 1.5 million tons imported from France in the prior campaign.
With total wheat import needs estimated at 5.5 million tons for the period, these shipments from France could fulfill approximately 64% of Morocco’s soft wheat requirements, highlighting the kingdom’s strategic reliance on established suppliers to meet annual consumption demands of around 10 million tons, as per Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates.
Morocco, Africa’s third-largest wheat market after Egypt and Algeria, faces a structural import dependency due to climatic challenges, including recurrent droughts that have curtailed local harvests.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecasts the country’s 2025 wheat production at 3.5 million tons of soft and durum varieties combined, far below domestic needs, prompting an overall import projection of 7.5 million tons for the marketing year.
This shortfall underscores the importance of international procurement in stabilizing supplies for essential commodities such as bread, a staple in Moroccan diets.
To support these imports, the Moroccan government has extended the soft wheat import refund system until December 31, 2025.
Managed by the state grains agency ONICL, this subsidy program offers flat-rate premiums to importers, incentivizing purchases from global markets to mitigate price volatility and secure domestic availability. The extension reflects ongoing efforts to enhance food resilience amid environmental pressures.
While France emerges as a primary supplier, leveraging geographical proximity and trade agreements, Moroccan importers are exploring alternatives to diversify sources and optimize costs.
Omar Yacoubi, president of the National Federation of Grain and Legume Traders (FNCL), indicated interest in wheat from Russia, Germany, Poland, and Argentina, where competitive pricing presents viable options.
Data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity for 2023 shows Morocco’s wheat imports distributed among multiple origins, including France (US$663 million), Canada (US$399 million), Germany (US$307 million), Romania (US$97.9 million), and Poland (US$82.6 million), illustrating a balanced approach to procurement.
Argentina’s robust export capacity, with 12.9 million metric tons shipped globally in 2022, further positions it as an attractive contender.
The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2025-2034 advocates for investments in domestic production to reduce vulnerabilities, yet immediate import dependencies remain critical for the country to meet demand.
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