Russia shipped about 58,000 tonnes of grain to Morocco in September, around 1.6 times more than in the same month last year, according to the Russian Grain Union. The increase came as Russian grain exports fell sharply overall. Russia exported nearly 1.7m tonnes of major grains in September, about 3.8 times less than a year earlier.
Wheat exports fell fourfold to 1.36m tonnes from 5.4m tonnes. Barley exports dropped 3.6 times to 215,500 tonnes from 769,000 tonnes. Corn exports fell 11.6% to 103,000 tonnes from 116,500 tonnes.
Elena Tyurina, director of analysis and monitoring at the Russian Grain Union, gave the figures to Interfax.
The number of countries buying Russian grain also fell sharply, from 37 last year to only 12 in September.
Egypt was the biggest buyer, taking more than 216,000 tonnes, although shipments to the country fell by more than five times. Kenya followed with more than 155,000 tonnes, while Saudi Arabia and Libya received 131,000 tonnes and 97,000 tonnes, respectively.
Turkey imported only 36,700 tonnes, down from 843,700 tonnes in September last year.
Oman and Mexico joined the list of buyers. The two countries imported more than 110,000 tonnes combined.
The number of Russian wheat exporters fell from 76 to 23 companies. The number of active shipping ports also dropped from 45 to 22.
Russia has also shifted more grain shipments towards Baltic ports as exporters face problems in the Azov and Black Sea basins.
Baltic ports handled 50% of total grain shipments in September. Ust-Luga handled 530,200 tonnes, compared with no grain shipments through the route in September last year.
Vysotsk handled 342,000 tonnes, 9.5 times more than during the same month last year.
Ust-Luga supplied grain to Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Yemen, Libya and Egypt. Vysotsk supplied Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Mexico and Libya.
The rise in Russian shipments to Morocco comes after a major increase in wheat imports from Russia during 2025.
By the end of June 2025, more than 1.1m tonnes of Russian wheat had been imported, more than 2.3 times the amount recorded during the same period a year earlier.
Total cereal imports from Russia were worth $149.2m during the 2025 calendar year. Wheat and meslin accounted for $146.35m of that amount. Barley was worth $2.78m, while corn and other grains made up the remaining value.
Russia supplied more than 960,000 tonnes of wheat during the second half of 2024 alone.
The figures come from data cited from the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, UN Comtrade and trade publications including Milling MEA and Express TV.
The increase in Russian wheat purchases came as repeated droughts reduced domestic grain production and pushed Morocco to diversify its sources of supply. Russia has become one of the country’s main non-EU suppliers, alongside Germany, Romania and Canada.
Global wheat prices have also fallen. French wheat prices dropped 6.2% over the previous month to $273 a tonne. US wheat prices fell 4.8% to $295 a tonne.
The Russian Grain Union linked the price decline to expectations of lower purchases by several major importers, including Indonesia, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
Egypt could cut wheat imports by about 3m tonnes this season. Morocco could also reduce imports by roughly 3m tonnes, while Turkey could cut purchases by 1.6m tonnes.
Higher domestic production is expected to drive those reductions.
Turkey’s wheat harvest could reach 22m tonnes this year, compared with 17m tonnes last season. The Moroccan harvest could reach 7.5m tonnes, up from 3.5m tonnes in the previous season.
The expected improvement in domestic production could therefore reduce demand for imported wheat, even as Russian suppliers continue to expand shipments to Morocco.
