Morocco’s wheat imports reach 7.5 MT amid shift to Russian, Ukrainian supply

MOROCCO – Morocco imported 7.5 million tons of wheat by the end of February 2024, reflecting an increasing reliance on Russian and Ukrainian wheat as French supply dwindles, according to an official report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The latest Grain: World Markets and Trade report, published in March, highlights that Morocco’s total wheat consumption reached 10 million tons during the same period.

According to the report, this shift in Morocco’s wheat sourcing is largely attributed to shortages in French wheat production, forcing the North African country to diversify its imports.

As a result, Russian agricultural authorities expect wheat exports to Morocco to reach 7.5 million tons this season, cementing Russia’s position as a key supplier.

In contrast, wheat exports from the European Union (EU) to Morocco are projected to plummet to just 27 million tons for the 2024/2025 season, the lowest level since 2018/2019.

The USDA FAS attributes this shift to France’s wheat supply constraints and the increasing competitiveness of Black Sea region exports.

Meanwhile, Morocco’s broader grain imports continue to surge. In the first two months of 2025, the country imported 3.46 million tons of animal feed, with corn accounting for 2.7 million tons and barley imports reaching 750,000 tons.

This figure represents a significant portion of Morocco’s total barley consumption of 2.2 million tons.

Pest concerns in Russian wheat shipments

While Russia remains Morocco’s dominant wheat supplier, concerns have arisen regarding the quality and safety of some shipments.

A recent batch of wheat from Russia’s Chelyabinsk region destined for Morocco was found to contain harmful weed seeds, including field bindweed and blue foxtail. These invasive species, which are not considered a quarantine risk in Russia, pose a serious threat to Morocco’s agricultural sector.

According to Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor), authorities identified the contamination in a shipment of food and feed wheat. Similar issues have been flagged before, with Russian authorities issuing 83 warnings in 2023 to farmers in Chelyabinsk about potential pest contamination.

Despite these concerns, Morocco continues to strengthen its trade ties with Russia. In November 2024, the two nations signed a trade agreement aimed at facilitating the export of Russian wheat to Morocco.

As part of this ongoing partnership, Russia plans to boost wheat exports to Morocco to 1.5 million tons in the near future, driven by rising demand and continued collaboration.

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