ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN — For the first time in 17 years, Kazakhstan is shipping wheat to Morocco.

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the national railway operator, said on April 30 that the first batch of Kazakh grain was sent to Morocco from the stations of Zhana-Yesil (Akmola branch) and Sarykol (Kostanay branch). The cargo, which amounted to 105 grain wagons, was transported by rail through the territory of Latvia, KTZ said.

KTZ said that once in the port of Liepaja, the grain will be reloaded onto sea vessels and delivered to the coast of North Africa.

In total, 17 trains will be loaded with grain produced in the northern region of Kazakhstan for a total volume to be shipped of 60,000 tonnes, KTZ said.

Kazakhstan first began exporting wheat to Morocco in 2004, sending more than 60,000 tonnes before halting shipments in 2008.

Last month, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture issued a report indicating Morocco would produce 1.7 million tonnes of common wheat and 1.1 million tonnes of durum wheat in the 2025-26 marketing year. Total wheat production of 2.8 million tonnes will be higher than the 2.46 million tonnes the previous season but remain significantly below an estimated 4.15 million tonnes in 2023-24, the FAS said. Morocco’s wheat production in 2024 was hurt by severe drought, leading the government to subsidize imports, according to the FAS.

Meanwhile, a larger-than-average wheat crop in Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s largest grain producer and only significant exporter, has led to a surge in shipments in marketing year 2024-25, according to a report from the FAS.