BlackSeaGrain.news
Morocco imported 52.5mn quintals (equivalent of 5.25mn tons) of grain since the beginning of the 2011/12 campaign that started in June 2011 till the end of April 2012, the state-run grains authority ONICL said on its website. The volume of imported grain was by 10% lower on the year.
Soft wheat, the main staple food in Morocco, accounted for 47% of total imports, followed by maize (31%), durum wheat (12%) and barley (10%). France topped the list of grain exporters to Morocco accounting for 37% of total imports, followed by Argentina (22%) and Brazil (12%). ONICL also reported that wheat harvest in April amounted to 22.4mn quintals, of which 99.3% was soft wheat. Overall, the volume of grain held by traders at Moroccan grain terminals increased by 12% m/m to 20.9 quintals by the end of April. ONICLE also launched two tenders for the supply of 1.9mn quintals of barley for its distribution to farmers at subsidized rates to safeguard livestock. The government decided to extend the suspension of import duties on wheat allowing tariff-free imports until the end of May 2012. Prior to the end of 2011, Morocco applied an import tariff of 135% on soft wheat and 80% on durum.
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