Rabat – The production of cereals like durum wheat, common wheat, and barley has reached a total of 96 million quintals during the 2016-2017 crop year, 63 percent more than the average season, according the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries.
Wheat production is estimated at 49 million quintals, or 51 percent, followed by barley with 25 million quintals, or 26 percent, and durum wheat with 22 million quintals, or 23 percent, the ministry told the Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
The 2016-2017 agricultural season has come up to an average of 17.8 Qx / ha for the three cereals, exceeding the average agricultural productivity of the two decades before the launch of the Plan Maroc Vert (11 Qx / ha), said the ministry.
With 49 million quintals of common wheat, this year’s production exceeded that of the previous year for this cereal (18.6 MQx) by 163 percent and exceeds that of an average season (30 MQx) by 63 percent.
By region, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra led the way with more than 12 million quintals of soft wheat production, followed by the Casablanca-Settat region.
The desired wheat production in 2016-2017 was due according to the ministry to “the good temporal distribution of precipitation in the majority of the cereal regions,” with a national rainfall of 327 mm up until July 28, a 51 percent increase compared with 2015-2016 season (216 mm), but less than the average of national rainfall of 384 mm.
“The efforts made by farmers and professionals in the sector, as well as the permanent and constant involvement of the Department of Agriculture with regard to the agricultural sector, made it possible to carry out a good agricultural campaign despite the climatic specificities of this campaign, in April, warmer and drier than expected,” concluded the ministry.
