The country failed to raise its cereal harvest to 7.5 million tonnes, as planned in the 2023 budget.
The ministry said Friday evening that it expects to harvest 2.98 million tonnes of soft wheat, 1.18 million tonnes of durum wheat and 1.35 million tonnes of barley.
She added that rainfall has increased by 13% so far in 2023 compared to last year, but is still about 36% lower than in a normal year.
In its draft budget for 2023, the government relied on expectations of a 4.5% growth in its economy, assuming average rainfall and a grain harvest of 7.5 million tonnes.
Morocco’s soft wheat import bill rose 81% last year to 25 billion dirhams ($2.5 billion) after the worst drought in decades.
According to a Moroccan cereal importer, high prices on the international market and a below-average harvest last year hampered efforts to build up stocks corresponding to more than three months of domestic needs.
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