North African countries still have significant wheat needs this year

• This should benefit France which has always been a major supplier to North Africa due to its geographical proximity that lowers freight costs.

PARIS: 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.