Morocco to suspend soft wheat imports from June to July to support domestic harvest
The decision comes as Morocco anticipates improved cereal production following stronger rainfall during the current agricultural season, offering relief after several years of drought-related disruptions that severely affected crop yields and increased dependence on imports.
MOROCCO – The Moroccan government will officially suspend all soft wheat imports from June 1 to July 31, 2026, in a strategic move to protect local farmers and stabilize domestic prices during the prime harvest season.
The temporary two-month pause was confirmed on May 13 by Moulay Abdelkader Alaoui, president of Morocco’s National Federation of Millers (FNM).
The policy shift marks a dramatic pivot for the North African kingdom, transitioning away from heavy reliance on imports toward aggressive domestic market protection.
The suspension is directly linked to an exceptional recovery in local agricultural output.
Soft wheat is a staple commodity in Morocco and is widely used in flour production for bread and other essential food products.
The country has traditionally relied heavily on imports, particularly during periods of weak local harvests caused by water scarcity and erratic rainfall.
In recent years, Morocco has sourced significant volumes from France, Russia, Ukraine, and other European suppliers to meet domestic demand.
Cumulative rainfall between September 2025 and March 2026 reached 462 millimeters, outstripping the 30-year national average by over 34% and enabling farmers to scale up cereal cultivation across nearly 3.9 million hectares.
As a result, the Ministry of Agriculture forecasts that the national cereal harvest will more than double this season, surging to 9 million metric tons (90 million quintals) compared to the meager 4.4 million metric tons recorded last year.
In recent seasons, poor domestic yields forced Morocco deep into global grain markets, routinely driving its annual grain import bill to between US$1.5 billion and US$2.5 billion.
The kingdom had briefly become the European Union’s largest soft wheat customer, taking in 2.7 million tonnes of French wheat alone between July and March.
However, with the expiration of a state-funded import subsidy program on April 30, the government is now redirecting its financial resources inward.
The summer freeze on foreign shipments is specifically intended to prevent cheaper imported grain from flooding local markets and undermining domestic producer prices.
To ensure a bumper harvest is collected smoothly, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched a comprehensive domestic support framework.
The reference purchase price for locally produced soft wheat destined for industrial mills has been set at 280 dirhams per quintal. Additionally, storage operators will receive subsidies of 2.5 dirhams per quintal every two weeks through the National Interprofessional Office for Cereals and Legumes (ONICL) to accelerate storage and build national strategic reserves.
The state has also committed to covering part of the transportation costs for shipping locally produced wheat to remote interior provinces, thereby guaranteeing equitable food security across the country.
According to the latest forecasts from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the country is expected to cede its position as the 3rd-largest African importer of wheat to Nigeria in 2026/2027, with 4 million tons purchased, compared to 6.5 million tons for the West African giant.
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