The cereal milling sector in Morocco, vital for the supply of essential foodstuffs, is going through a period of inefficiency marked by under-exploitation of its infrastructure. In 2024, the country has only used 56% of its grinding capacity, a figure revealing the dysfunctions affecting this strategic industry.
While overall grain milling capacities are theoretically sufficient to meet market needs, actual data demonstrates declining management. For example, only 56% of installations dedicated to the grinding of soft wheat have been activated, and this percentage drops to 23% with regard to the grinding of barley, an increasingly important crop in the context of new agricultural dynamics. of the kingdom. Durum wheat, although better supported with 62% capacity utilization, does not benefit from homogeneous geographical coverage. Indeed, key regions such as Casablanca-Settat and Fez-Meknes dominate grinding activity, highlighting a problematic geographic concentration to the detriment of other areas of the country, which thus find themselves deprived.
This low rate of exploitation of production capacities finds one of its main causes in the prolonged closure of numerous units. Indeed, 14 soft wheat mills ceased their activity for more than two years, leading to a substantial loss of the country’s production capacity. This phenomenon highlights not only structural problems but also failures in the management of the sector, where the maintenance of equipment and investment in new units seem to have been neglected. Furthermore, this massive closure of mills demonstrates the fragility of the sector in the face of economic ups and downs and economic crises, such as increased production costs or challenges linked to the supply of raw materials.
Morocco, traditionally a net importer of cereals, has however taken measures to limit the impact of this internal underproduction by continuing to support wheat imports. A flat-rate aid was introduced to encourage importers, in a context where local wheat production is experiencing a significant decline. This policy, although necessary to guarantee a supply of wheat on the domestic market, highlights an increased dependence on imports, thus weakening the kingdom’s food self-sufficiency and its resilience in the face of global crises.
Unequal concentration
Another key problem lies in the unequal distribution of grinding capacities across the territory. If the regions of Casablanca-Settat, Fez-Meknes and Marrakech-Safi concentrate the majority of mills, other regions of the country, particularly those located in the south or in mountainous areas, suffer from a lack of suitable infrastructure. This geographic concentration accentuates disparities between regions and limits the overall efficiency of the production network. Transporting wheat and other cereals to these areas thus becomes a major logistical challenge, increasing distribution costs and reducing market competitiveness.
Despite the difficulties encountered, the milling sector remains an essential link in the Moroccan food chain, the efficiency of which has a direct impact on the prices of basic foodstuffs and the country’s food security. The management of this sector therefore deserves an in-depth reform, which would involve a modernization of existing infrastructure, a better geographical distribution of mills as well as increased support for local producers in order to limit dependence on imports. In addition, particular attention must be paid to maintenance and the regularity of investments to avoid prolonged closures which further weaken the industry.
In short, the current situation of the grain milling sector in Morocco reveals an urgent need for structural reforms. Import support policies are no longer enough to compensate for the internal weaknesses of the production system. If the country wishes to guarantee a stable supply of cereals and strengthen its food sovereignty, concerted action to improve the efficiency of infrastructure and management of the sector is essential.
