03/08/2007
Morocco's cereal production declined from 90 million quintals in 2005/2006 to 20 million quintals in the 2006/2007 agricultural season, a fall of 78%, MAP quoted a government press release as saying on Thursday (August 2nd). The decline is attributed the prolonged drought, which affected most significantly the output of soft wheat, decreased by 80% through July, compared to the same period in 2006. To curb the situation the Ministry of Agriculture announced it will import 3 million quintals to meet demand from October 2007 to March 2008, and has already suspended the collection of customs duties and taxes on cereals imports. The suspension aims at protecting consumers against rising international prices, the press release said. (MAP)