Canada seeks to increase wheat exports to Africa, where it already competes with Black Sea grain

Canada plans to increase wheat exports to African countries, viewing the continent as one of the promising growth markets. Nigeria currently buys around 800 thsd tons of Canadian wheat annually, while Ghana purchases another 375 thsd tons.

According to Cereals Canada, Mozambique, Kenya and Cameroon have significant potential for increased supplies. Mozambique, for example, has imported more than 200 thsd tons of Canadian wheat in some years. Rising demand in Africa is being driven by rapid population growth, urbanization and increasing incomes, which are boosting consumption of bread, pasta and noodles.

Canadian wheat is already directly competing in African markets with cheaper grain from the Black Sea region. In Nigeria, high-quality Canadian wheat is blended with cheaper Black Sea wheat, allowing millers to maintain the required quality characteristics while keeping bread prices affordable.

Canada is also targeting growing demand from noodle and pasta producers. Canadian wheat is particularly well suited to instant noodle production, which is becoming increasingly popular as urbanization accelerates.

At the same time, access to African markets remains challenging due to regulatory and non-tariff trade barriers. Competition is also increasing from Russia, Ukraine, France, Australia and the United States. According to data cited by Cereals Canada, Canada exported around 5 million tonnes of wheat to Africa in 2025, the highest level in the past five years.

Tags: wheat, Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Mozambique, Canada