Morocco Faces Wheat Shortage as Ukraine War Drives Up Prices

The war in Ukraine will have an impact on the Moroccan economy, due to the trade ties the kingdom has woven with the two countries, particularly the import of wheat from Ukraine and the export of citrus fruits to Russia.

As for wheat, the bill is becoming more and more expensive. Morocco imports an average of 3 to 4 million tons of soft wheat and 800,000 to 900,000 tons of durum wheat each year. Prices have reached a peak of $450 per ton. The cost of imports has increased from 901 million dirhams in January 2021 to 2.6 billion dirhams in January this year, according to the latest data from the Office of Foreign Exchange.

Questioned, Abdelkader Alaoui, president of the National Federation of Milling (FNM) indicated that "the war in Ukraine has impacted wheat prices on the international market. But Morocco’s wheat stock will cover five months of national consumption."

However, despite the current circumstances, the official stressed that imports have not stopped, as ships are docking in Moroccan ports and others are on their way to them, while Moroccan importers are stationed on other markets.