Morocco, a major wheat importer, expects a grain harvest of 4.4 million metric tons this year, up 41%, thanks to improved rainfall, agriculture minister Ahmed El Bouari said on Tuesday.

"After a difficult start to the crop year, important rainfall in March and April had a very positive impact on farming across Morocco," El Bouari told a conference.

The harvest includes 2.4 million tons of soft wheat, 1.06 million tons of durum and 0.95 million tons of barley, the ministry said later in a statement.

(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi, Editing by Louise Heavens)