Moroccan rice sector faces new challenges from imports after drought and floods
The Moroccan rice sector is confronting a new crisis as excessive imports, following years of drought and recent floods, lead to saturated storage capacities and threaten the entire value chain. Producers in the Gharb plain, which accounts for three-quarters of national rice production, had hoped for a recovery in 2026 after difficult campaigns. However, heavy rains flooded over 110,000 hectares in provinces like Larache and Kénitra, complicating agricultural revival. Adding to this, imports of white and parboiled rice surged from nearly 55,000 tonnes in 2022 to almost 119,000 tonnes in 2025, an increase of over 116%. While these imports initially secured supply during drought, industrialists now argue they destabilize the local market. An industrial unit director in Kénitra warned that if rice mills cannot purchase locally produced paddy due to full warehouses and immobilized cash flow, the entire sector risks disorganization. Rice mills are crucial for processing, financing agricultural campaigns, and organizing collection. Their weakening would directly impact approximately 2,500 farmers and 1.5 million annual workdays, as well as 200 permanent and 400-500 seasonal jobs across the six national rice mills, affecting transporters, maintenance companies, and logistics providers. The affected lands in Gharb are difficult to convert to other crops, highlighting the strategic importance of rice cultivation. In response, Morocco notified the World Trade Organization in April of a