Browse Data and Analysis

Jordan, a Middle Eastern country with limited arable land and severe water scarcity, heavily relies on grain imports to meet domestic consumption needs.

Jordan continues to rely heavily on imports for essential staples such as wheat, barley, corn, and rice due to limited domestic production and scarce water resources.

Zambia’s production of its staple crop, corn, is expected to drop by more than 50 percent in marketing year 2024/25, due to extended dry spells associated with the El Niño event. Almost a million hectares of corn have been destroyed by the drought that forced the Zambian President to declare a “National Disaster and Emergency”.

MY2024/25 wheat imports are estimated to reach 1.2 million metric tons as Jordan's government begins filling its strategic grain reserves to mitigate inflationary shocks caused by geopolitical crises. MY2024/25 wheat exports are lowered to 50,000 tons, down 40,000 tons from MY2023/24, as in-kind food assistance programs supplying Syria wind down.

Jordan’s MY 2023/24 wheat imports are forecasted to reach 1.25 million MT -- with Ukraine, Romania, and Russia dominating wheat imports in the first seven months of calendar year 2023.

On October 20, 2023, Jordan notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measure on poultry meat imports (G/SPS/N/JOR/44).

Zambia’s production of its staple crop, corn, is expected to grow by 23 percent to 3.3 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2023/24, mainly due to an upsurge in planted area.

FAS Amman (Post) forecasts Jordan’s wheat imports in MY 2023/24 to reach 1.25 million MT. The Russian war on Ukraine directly impacts Jordan, as most of Jordan's wheat and barley come from Black Sea.

Despite lower production in marketing year (MY) 2022/23, Zambia’s production of its staple crop, corn, will be sufficient to meet domestic demand. Zambia’s corn crop is forecast to decline by 25 percent to 2.7 million metric tons (MMT) in MY 2022/23, after producing a record crop 3.6 MMT in MY 2021/22.

FAS Amman (Post) forecasts Jordan’s wheat imports in MY 2022/23 to reach 1.3 million MT driven by fears of war. The Russian war on Ukraine has a direct impact on Jordan, as most of Jordan's wheat and barley come from Black Sea.

Zambia produced its largest corn crop on record in the 2021/22 MY. This bumper corn crop of 3.6 million tons follows on Zambia’s third largest corn crop of 3.4 million tons produced in the 2020/21 MY.

In MY2021/22 wheat imports are forecast to reach 1.2 MMT.