Several annual oilseed species have been grown in Morocco: sunflower, rapeseed, groundnut, soybean, sesame and safflower. Their cultivation area has continued to decline since the 1990s following several factors, in particular the abolition of guaranteed minimum price and liberalization of the sector.
How many vegetable oil refining plants are there in Morocco?
There are 2crushing units and 5vegetable oil refining plants in Morocco. These plants accounts for crushing capacity of 620,000tons/year and a refining capacity of 770,000tons/year.
What crops are grown in Morocco?
The main oilseed crop grown in Morocco are sunflower, rapeseed, and groundnut intended more for direct consumption than for the production of oil. Their cultivation area represents currently less than 1% of the country’s total useful agricultural surface and their production covers less than 2% of the country’s vegetable oil needs.
Which countries export soybean oil?
The main exporters of soybean oil are Argentina and Brazil, while the most important importers are India and China. Regarding sunflower oil, the leading exporters are Ukraine and Russia and the largest importers are EU and Turkey. Canada and EU are major exporters of rapeseed oil, and China and EU are the world’s largest importers ( Fig. 8 ).