Russia overtakes France as top wheat supplier to North African country

Agricultural production in Morocco has been hampered by droughts, the head of the Russian grain quality watchdog has said

Russia has overtaken France as the leading grain supplier to Morocco, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday, citing Ruslan Khasanov, the director of Moscow’s Center of Grain Quality Assurance.

France had historically been the primary wheat exporter to the North African nation, whose domestic production has reportedly been hampered by severe droughts. Omar Yacoubi, president of the Moroccan National Federation of Grain and Legume Traders (FNCL), has stated that the country needs to purchase about 5 million tons of cereals.

Yacoubi told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference hosted by French grain exporter Intercereales in October that France “lacks the necessary quantities” to meet demand. He added that Russia’s competitive edge has made it the “market maker.” 

The Russian Union of Grain Exporters and Producers (Rusgrain) announced last month that Moscow and Rabat had signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the export of Russian grain to the kingdom.

According to figures reported by local outlet Rue20, Russian grain supplies to the former French colony between June and October totaled 1.9 million tons, while purchases from France were around 513,000 tons. Earlier records for June-August suggested that Morocco imported 1.5 million tons of soft wheat, with France as the primary supplier, followed by Russia.

READ MORE: African state bars former colonial ruler from wheat tender – Reuters

“In recent months, the trend toward changing leaders in grain supplies to Morocco has become more and more obvious,” Khasanov told RIA Novosti.

“If in June-August of this year the country imported about 1.5 million tons of wheat, of which the bulk was wheat of French origin, then in September Russian wheat came out on top,” he said.

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According to Khasanov, France was not on the kingdom’s list of wheat suppliers in September, and its imports from Canada fell by 22%.

“If you look at the agricultural year, Morocco currently occupies eighth place in the ranking of importing countries of Russian wheat [around 780,000 tons]. The active growth rates of Russian exports indicate the prospects of the Moroccan market for our suppliers,” he stated.

Late last month, Rugrain chairman Eduard Zernin said African nations are showing increasing interest in Russian grain due to its quality and competitive pricing.

READ MORE: Growing demand for Russian grain in Africa – export union

The Russian Center of Grain Quality Assurance has reported that wheat exports from Krasnodar Region, one of the country’s main agricultural hubs, to 25 African nations increased by 14.4% between January and September 2024, totaling 14.8 million tons. Egypt, Algeria, Kenya, Libya, and Sudan are the top five African importers of Russian wheat during the period.