Withering Crops to Make North Africa World’s Top Wheat Importer

Withering Crops to Make North Africa World’s Top Wheat Importer

One of the worst droughts in four decades is expected to make North Africa the world's top buyer of foreign grain.. Lackluster local supply may boost the region's wheat purchases by 7.4% to a record 29.7 million tons in the year from July, the U.S.. Egypt, the world's top buyer, held its first tender of the 2020-21 season last week.. Morocco may buy a record 5.8 million tons of foreign wheat and has already taken the unusual step of exempting import taxes through the end of 2020.. "If prices remain not too high, North African countries are likely to be going at it and building the stocks that were depleted by this shopping spree.".