As of 2023, wheat and potatoes stand as leading products of Morocco's agricultural landscape. Within that year alone, the nation produced over 4.15 million metric tons of wheat, approximately 1.35 million metric tons of barley, and 1.47 million metric tons of sugar beet. Complementing these, Morocco also cultivated significant quantities of other vital crops such as grapes, olives, tomatoes, and citrus fruits.
Moroccan fields of plentyÂ
In North Africa, Morocco ranks second for its agricultural sector's contribution to GDP at 12 percent in 2023. Around 2.43 million hectares of agricultural land are dedicated to wheat, and approximately 1.24 million hectares for barley. On the other hand, organic farmland witnessed a significant increase, reaching a record peak of over 18,500 hectares in 2022, but decreased back to 13,325 in 2023. The country is looking at more sustainable methods of farming and ways to generate income for the youth, particularly for those living in rural areas.
Crops beyond borders
Surprisingly, wheat was the most imported agri-food in 2023, valued at 1.9 billion U.S. dollars, followed by raw sugar, maize, and soya bean oil. This is likely due to decreasing supplies from eastern European countries and drought. On the other hand, tomatoes led agricultural food exports with a value of over one billion U.S. dollars in the same year. Due to the shortage of greenhouse produced tomatoes caused by the energy crisis, exports from Morocco to Europe increased considerably.