British Cereal Exports, the export hand of the United Kingdom’s Home Grown Cereal Authority, has been working with Moroccan government officials to lift its restrictions on feed wheat imports, opening up a new potential market worth an estimated UK$9.6 million a year. The decision comes as the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and the state buying agency ONICL have confirmed that the restrictions on feed wheat imports have been lifted, allowing imports to meet compounders’ annual demand of 60,000 tons.
Sarah Mann, British Cereal Exports’ Exports Manager, said, “British Cereal Exports has been working with the Moroccan Feed Trade Association, AFAC (Morocco’s Feed Miller Association) and the state buying agency ONICL since 2009 to supply feed wheat to the Moroccan feed industry. Both organizations have said that we were instrumental in helping this decision to happen.
“We welcome the news, as it opens up a new market opportunity for United Kingdom feed wheat which previously did not exist. BCE will be hosting a visit to buyers from AFAC after harvest to further strengthen these valuable relationships.”
Moroccan feed compounder Youssef Mikou, also welcomes the move. He said, “I am delighted that the Ministry of Agriculture has finally permitted us to import feed wheat to Morocco. It is very important for us to be able to do this and I would like to thank British Cereal Exports for all their valuable work.”
British Cereal Exports is also responsible for the maintenance and promotion of wheat classifications ukp, bread making wheat and uks, soft biscuit making wheat. Last month, British Cereal Exports ran a Meet the Exporter campaign, a series of six events at four ports and one grain store where growers were encouraged to find out what happens to their grain after it leaves the farm gate. In March, British Cereal Exports also invited Moroccan millers to bake their national biscuits using uks wheat at their first British Cereal Exports Biscuit Making Workshop.