On the continent, wheat purchases are mainly made by North African countries, where the cereal is the main staple food for the population. In 2024/2025, African wheat imports are expected to reach a record level of 55.6 million tons. This is estimated by the FAO in its biannual report on "Food Outlook" published last June 13.

The announced stock would represent an increase of 2.2%, or 1.2 million tons more than the previous year (54.4 million tons). According to the UN agency, most of this increase is supported by the growth in demand in Morocco.

In detail, Moroccan wheat purchases are expected to increase by 19% year-on-year to reach 7.5 million tons. This increased reliance of Morocco on imports is related to the expected drop in production of nearly 40%, to a level below the average of 2.5 million tons obtained in recent years.

In fact, the Alawite kingdom is severely affected by the rainfall deficit and high temperatures that impact cereal production in most North African countries.

Apart from Morocco, Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, is expected to register a slight growth of about 1.6% in its cereal purchases to reach 12.2 million tons.

It should be noted that North Africa accounts for approximately 60% of Africa's wheat imports. In the region, Algeria is the only country where imports are expected to show a decline in 2024/2025, mainly due to favorable local production prospects.

Source of the article: ecomnewsafrique