Morocco suspends imports of feed grain from Germany

Morocco has suspended imports of feed grains from Germany, where the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has occurred, said Omar Yacoubi, head of the National Federation of Grain and Legume Traders (FNCL).

The suspension of imports affected “all unprocessed plant feed intended for animal consumption from Germany due to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak,” Omar Yakoubi told Reuters.

A source at Morocco’s Food Safety Agency (ONSSA) confirmed that imports of plant-based animal feed from Germany will be “suspended” until Germany is declared free of foot-and-mouth disease again or certifies regions of the country as free of the disease.

Germany announced the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in almost 40 years on January 10, which occurred in a herd of buffalo near Berlin in the state of Brandenburg. This is the only reported case so far.

The outbreak has led to trade restrictions by some countries, including the UK, on livestock-related products from Germany. The German Ministry of Agriculture said on January 13 that Germany’s loss of FMD-free status means that exports of a wide range of agricultural products outside the European Union are not possible.

Traders reported that exporters had purchased feed barley for Morocco from France instead of Germany in response to the trade restrictions.

However, other importing countries continue to accept German feed grain. One shipment of German barley originally sold to Morocco will be sent to Tunisia, traders said.

Foot-and-mouth disease occurs regularly in various parts of the world, including Africa, but Morocco has not had an outbreak since 2019.

Tags: grain, Germany, Morocco, restrictions, compound feed