FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 11/01 - MOROCCO (12 November)
Land preparation has started for planting of the 2001/02 winter crops. Aggregate cereal production in 2001 is more than doubled the output in the previous year, when crops were affected by severe drought. Nevertheless, aggregate cereal production is some 10 percent below the average of the past 5 years. This is mainly the result of late rains at spring planting which contributed to a reduction of the area planted to wheat and barley, with respect to earlier intended plantings, in some parts of the country.
Wheat imports in marketing year 2001/02 (July/June) are anticipated to decline from 3.5 million tonnes in the previous year to some 3 million tonnes. Coarse grain imports, principally barley, are also forecast to decline from 2 million tonnes to about 1.7 million tonnes.