Increased Production Goals in Morocco Opens Doors for U.S. Grain

The U.S. Grains Council sees a great opportunity for America's corn growers in Morocco. With the announcement of an incentive program to establish 20 to 30 large beef feedlots and ten modern meat processing facilities designed to increase domestic beef production by 80-percent by 2020 - the Grains Council believes additional commodity purchases will increase returns to 60.5-million dollars each year by 2011.

The Council jump-started beef production in Morocco five years ago with the introduction of COPAG. Two years later - the Council introduced U.S. distiller's dried grains with solubles and corn gluten feed to the Moroccan marketplace. As a result - COPAG established a 10-thousand head feedlot and another four feedlots and three large dairies have been built - or are in the process of being built. With that - demand for corn and its co-products has spiked. USGC Director in the Mediterranean and Africa Kurt Shultz says the Moroccan Feed Millers Association's adoption of the Council's plan to develop the ruminant feed market has increased corn consumption by 165-thousand tons - or 6.5-million bushels - from 2003 to 2007. Projections call for 465-thousand tons of corn, sorghum and co-product sales by 2011.