Morocco extends soft wheat import subsidies through 2025

Morocco will extend its wheat import subsidy program until December 31, 2025, the National Interprofessional Office of Cereals and Legumes (ONICL) has announced. The decision, made by the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture, underscores the continued reliance on imports due to persistent drought conditions.

Initially set to expire in April, the program will be renewed starting May 1, with further details to be announced. Authorities will also introduce subsidies to incentivize importers to build up soft wheat stocks between April 1 and December 31.

This extension comes in response to a challenging agricultural outlook. In 2024, Morocco's production of soft wheat, durum wheat, and barley totaled 3.1 million tons—a 43% drop from the previous harvest. In favorable years, Morocco typically restricts imports to protect local supply.

For the past two years, the country has offset poor harvests with increased wheat imports, emerging as a key market for exports from the European Union and, increasingly, Russia.