Browse Data and Analysis

Wheat and barley production is expected to decline due to heat stress and insufficient rainfall. Post forecasts MY 2023/24 wheat and barley production at 800,000 MT and 220,000 MT, respectively, with imports at 2.2 MMT and 900,000 MT.

Strong tourism, high petroleum rents, and an accompanying economic boom in the United Arab Emirates are forecast to grow the consumptive base and drive imports of wheat and rice higher in the coming marketing year.

The 2023 crop season in Morocco is advancing under favorable weather conditions, showing promising recovery from the previous year’s drought. Post forecasts MY 2023/24 production at 2.45 MMT for common wheat, 1.35 MMT for durum wheat, and 1.75 MMT for barley.

Recent available data indicates that Saudi Arabia imported approximately 2.7 million metric tons (MMT) of barley in the first six months of MY 2022/23 (July – December 2022), an increase of approximately 11% compared to the same period last year (2.46 MMT).

Post forecasts MY 2023/24 wheat production at 3.3 million metric tons (MMT) and barley production at 1.4 MMT, in line with the previous season as climatic conditions are similar.

FAS Tel Aviv (Post) forecasts Israel’s wheat imports to reach 1.70 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2023/24, a 2.8 percent decrease from Post’s MY 2022/23 figure.

For MY 2022/23, Post maintains its forecast wheat production at 3.3 million metric tons (MMT), and barley at 1.2 MMT. Post forecasts MY 2022/23 barley imports at 772 thousand metric tons, in line with the import volume seen last year.

Saudi Arabia’s barley imports for the first six months of MY 2022/23 (July – Dec. 2022) are estimated at 2.6 million metric tons (MMT), an increase of six percent compared to the same period last year. Post’s current projection for total barley imports for MY 2022/23 is 4.5 MMT, which is a decrease of four percent compared to the USDA official estimate of 4.7 MMT. Unless the price of barley drastically decreases, Post anticipates demand will remain low throughout MY 2022/23.

The Government of Morocco has released its final wheat and barley production numbers for the 2022 crop, including 1.89 MMT of common wheat, 0.81 MMT of durum wheat, and 0.7 MMT of barley. The MY2022/23 wheat and barley harvest was down 67 percent compared to previous season due to severe drought.

UAE’s overall economic recovery will boost consumption and imports of grain and feed in MY 2022/23. The Ukraine conflict and other factors contributing to high commodity prices and food security may put downward pressure on UAE consumption in MY 2021/22.

Morocco is facing low wheat production in marketing year 2022/23 due to drought. The Ministry of Agriculture forecasts total wheat and barley production at 3.2 million metric tons, about 62 percent down from the previous year’s crop (10.2 million metric tons).