Mohammed Isa Al Abbasi 
The Kingdom of Morocco has imported about 124,000 tons of Russian wheat since the beginning of this year, an increase of more than twice compared to the numbers recorded last year (54.3 thousand tons), according to a statement by a statement of the Russian Agricultural Control Authority known as “Rossilkhoznadzor”.
The same source stated that Russia has increased wheat exports to the countries of Africa and the Middle East, noting that Morocco ranked second in the list of Russian wheat importers from the countries of the African continent and the Middle East, where Nigeria topped the list by importing more than 131 thousand tons in the period from January 1 to March 9.
In addition to Nigeria, which exports increased by nearly three times, Lebanon’s imports also increased, as the total of wheat exports from Russia to this country reached more than 96 thousand tons, with an annual increase in supplies that were estimated at nearly two and a half times.
For its part, the country of Cameroon has imported 50 thousand tons of Russian wheat since the beginning of this year, to record its imports, too, an important increase in more than twice. While this number did not exceed 23 thousand tons in the first three months of last year.
Despite this registered rise at the level of wheat supplies to the countries of Africa and the Middle East, the data of the Russian Grain Exporters Union revealed that last February Moscow exported more than two million tons of grains, which is less than 2.4 times from exports of the same month last year, which reached 5.5 million tons.
The same Russian body data indicated that Egypt was at the head of the beneficiaries of these supplies, as it bought approximately 920 thousand tons; While the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia bought 134 thousand tons of wheat and 69 thousand tons of barley, while the Russian corn bought only two states, Iran and Turkey.
The same source stated that the Russian Federation exported since the beginning of the agricultural season in July of last year approximately 40 million tons of grains, including more than 34 million tons of wheat, noting that the export capabilities between March and March and July’s rounds this year are 9.8 million tons, of which more than 8 million tons of wheat, with seasonal exports to stabilize at 42.5 million tons.
In a similar context, Elena Tiurina, Director of the Department of Analysis of the Russian Grain Exporters Union, confirmed in a statement to “Interfax”, the decrease in wheat prices in the global market, noting that “French wheat decreased by 2.9 percent, to $ 237 per ton; While American wheat decreased by 5.6 percent to $ 238 per ton. ”
The same spokeswoman explained this by “increasing the export capabilities in Australia, Argentina, Kazakhstan and the United States of America, and the trend of importers to these countries, some of which, as Australia, offer very competitive prices in the global market,” highlighting that “the main factors that currently determine the situation are the limited offer of wheat from producers, and competition with large exporting countries; At the forefront of which is Argentina and Australia.
