Morocco recorded the largest decrease in cereal production in North Africa in 2022, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s quarterly report showed.
North Africa’s aggregate cereal production for 2022 is estimated at 33 million tonnes, 10% below the region’s previous five-year average. The aggregate wheat harvest suffered the most, dropping to 16.6 million tonnes, almost 20% below the average.
Morocco’s output was estimated at nearly 3.3 million tonnes, a sharp 60% decrease from the average. The report attributes the decrease to the drought that the country experienced in 2022.
Throughout the year, Morocco suffered its worst drought in decades, heavily affecting its rain-reliant yet vitally important agriculture field.
The FAO estimated that the region’s aggregate cereal import requirements stand at 51 million tonnes in the 2022-23 year, an increase of 2% from the average in order to compensate for the reduced production.
Part of those imports would also go into states’ reserves, to prepare better for similar future situations.
The reduced output has naturally had an effect on food prices in the region, with food price inflation continuing to increase at high levels in most of the region, with Libya being the sole exception.
In Morocco, annual food inflation increased to over 10% by June 2022, before reaching a record 15.5% in December of the same year. The inflation rate was second only to Egypt’s staggering 48% by January 2023.
Food prices have been rising recently as several crises disrupted global production and supply chains.
Just as the world was emerging from the COVID-19 crisis which had significantly affected purchasing powers, the Russia-Ukraine war caused another spike as the two countries were significant exporters of grains and cereals.
The FAO report notes that a substantial improvement in cereal and wheat crops in 2023 is still feasible should weather conditions improve throughout the rest of the year.