Morocco will need more wheat imports as another drought looms

Morocco will need to increase wheat imports to make up for a smaller crop as the country faces yet another drought, according to farm-lobby group Comader.

The North African country — often cited among the most vulnerable to climate change in the Mediterranean basin — suffered from a lack of rain during autumn, according to Comader Chairman Rachid Benali. The wheat crop will be “a lot less” than last year’s 4 million tons, and the grains harvest will be much below the 7.5 million tons budgeted by the government, he said.

Morocco is a major wheat importer and depends heavily on agriculture, with the sector contributing to around 12% of the country’s economy. But it has faced a series of droughts in recent years, hurting local supplies and leading to farm-job losses that raised the nation’s unemployment rate to 13% in 2023.

“There will be more imports. We don’t have a choice,” Benali said in an interview, adding that wheat prices are relatively low right now. “Agriculture is a whole cycle and this year we did not have a proper start for that cycle.”

Benali said planting issues also apply to crops like other grains and sugar.

The amount of water provided by rain and snow each year has dropped in recent decades, while the population has almost doubled.

With many dams near empty, authorities have restricted the irrigation of farms, stepped up desalination plans and ordered thousands of public baths to close three days a week, prompting protests.