Kazakhstan is aiming to significantly expand grain exports to Morocco, positioning the North African nation as a strategic gateway to new markets across Africa.

The initiative was a key focus of the first Kazakhstan-Morocco Business Council meeting in Casablanca, where government officials and business leaders explored new opportunities to strengthen agricultural trade, investment, and food security cooperation, The Caspian Post reports via Kazinform.

Leading the Kazakh delegation, Asylkhan Dzhuvashev, Chairman of the Board of the Food Contract Corporation, said Kazakhstan's agricultural products are now exported to more than 80 countries, with the national grain operator playing a central role in expanding overseas sales.

Following two consecutive bumper harvests, Kazakhstan exported a record 15.3 million metric tons of grain and flour (in grain equivalent) during the previous agricultural season, while opening new markets across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Morocco has quickly become one of Kazakhstan's fastest-growing wheat markets. In May 2025, the Food Contract Corporation completed its first shipment of food wheat to Moroccan buyers. Combined with exports from other suppliers, Kazakhstan delivered 161,800 metric tons of grain to the kingdom, reflecting strong demand for Kazakh wheat.

"We see the Kingdom of Morocco not only as a promising market for Kazakhstan's grain exports, but also as a strategic logistics and trade hub for expanding our presence in North and West Africa and strengthening cooperation with international traders, processors and distributors," Dzhuvashev said.

Beyond grain exports, the two countries discussed attracting Moroccan investment into Kazakhstan's agricultural processing industry, expanding cooperation in agricultural technologies, and developing joint food industry projects aimed at strengthening regional food security.

On the sidelines of the business forum, the Kazakh delegation also held talks with OCP Nutricrops, a subsidiary of OCP Group, one of the world's leading phosphate fertilizer producers, to explore potential joint projects.

The growing partnership is reflected in rapidly rising trade. Morocco is Kazakhstan's largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade increasing 68% in 2025 to $461.5 million. Trade continued its upward trajectory in the first four months of 2026, rising another 58% to $167.6 million.

As Morocco imports around 7 million metric tons of grain annually, Kazakhstan sees significant room to expand its presence in one of North Africa's largest grain markets while using the country as a launchpad for broader regional exports.