Moroccan local newspapers have reported that the Moroccan authorities have decided to import about 10 million tons of grains during the current agricultural season to compensate for the shortfall in national production, which is expected not to exceed 2.5 million tons due to drought.
The Spanish agriculture-focused website “Agro Popular” described the quantity of imported grains, including durum and regular wheat, corn, and barley, as “exceptional” given that the country’s production this year is at an unprecedented low since 1981. If these forecasts are approved, the import would increase by 12% compared to the previous period.
The source noted that Morocco’s average grain imports over the past decade have been 7 million tons in a country with a population of 33.8 million people, according to the last census in 2014, where each individual consumes 200 kilograms of wheat annually.
Morocco is facing a severe drought crisis, marking its sixth consecutive year of drought, which has led to a dramatic drop in rainfall and consequent water scarcity. This challenging situation has prompted the Moroccan authorities to import approximately 10 million tons of grains during the current agricultural season. The imports, including durum and regular wheat, corn, and barley, aim to offset a significant shortfall in the national production, anticipated not to exceed 2.5 million tons due to the drought’s impact. This quantity of grain imports is considered “exceptional” as it is a response to the country’s production hitting an unprecedented low since 1981, marking a 12% increase compared to previous periods.
The drought has put Morocco’s water infrastructure projects into overdrive, with the budget for these projects increasing as desalination and dam projects advance amid the droughts and increasing international partnerships. Morocco is adding 18 dams to its current network of 152 to shore up water resource capacity in response to changing climate conditions and the urgent need to secure water resources. Additionally, Moroccan authorities are working on accelerating cooperation between Morocco’s water sector and foreign operators, including signing memorandums of understanding with companies for the development of small-scale seawater desalination plants.
This situation illustrates the severe impacts of climate change and water stress exacerbated by rising temperatures, which have increased water evaporation from dams, pushing the Moroccan authorities into emergency mode to deal with the worst drought in 40 years. The country’s reservoirs are currently only 23.5% full, a significant decrease from the previous year, indicating a “very dangerous situation.” Agriculture, a crucial sector employing a third of the working-age population and accounting for 14% of the country’s exports, has been severely affected.
