North African countries still have significant wheat needs this year - Transgrains

31 Jan 2020, 15:32

PARIS, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Algeria needs to buy 1.5 million tonnes of wheat and Morocco 600,000 tonnes in the last three months of the 2019/2020 (July-June) season, which should benefit France, a senior trader familiar with North African markets said on Friday.

In addition, Tunisia will probably need to book another 200,000 tonnes, Jean-Philippe Everling, founder and director of Transgrains France in partnership with Italian group Casillo, told the Paris Grain Day conference in Paris.

This should benefit France which has always been a major supplier to North Africa due to its geographical proximity that lowers freight costs, appropriate quality to meet buyers' specifications and language facility, he said. (Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide Editing by Bate Felix)