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Rabat – The violent hailstorm that hit the Fez-Meknes region over the weekend affected 9,100 agricultural hectares in 27 rural communities in the region, according to Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture.
In a press release on June 7, the ministry said the hailstorm affected most provinces in the region, with the exception of the Taounate province near the city of Fez.
“The intensity of the storm in certain areas has caused damage to several crops and certain agriculture infrastructure,” the release said.
Regional delegations from the agriculture ministry, including the Regional Chamber of Agriculture of Fez-Meknes, went to examine the situation and identify the potential impacts on different crops.
Initial studies show the area affected could reach up to 9,100 hectares in the provinces of Meknes, Sefrou, Ifrane El Hajeb, Fez, Moulay Yacoub, Taza, and Boulemane.
“The damage that occurred following the storm concerned fruit trees, olive trees, vegetable, and cereal crops,” the press release added. The ministry recorded 20-80% damage in farmers’ fields, depending on the crop and the province.
The statement reported that the damage is minimal in the operations equipped with anti-hail nets or located in the zones equipped with anti-hail generators.
The region of Fez-Meknes has 6,260 hectares equipped with hail nets subsidized by the Agriculture Development Fund for an average sum of MAD 310 million ($32 million). The ministry fund also previously equipped the lands with 68 anti-hail generators.
Most of the affected crops benefit from the multi-risk climatic crop insurance program that the ministry has put in place to support framers and supported by the Moroccan Mutual Agriculture Insurance (MAMDA).
The ministry invited farmers who previously registered with MAMDA insurance to make individual declarations on the damages to their crops and to deposit them at the provincial directions of agriculture within the next five days.
The ministry’s representatives will mobilize to ensure the monitoring and evaluation of the hailstorm’s impacts prepare a detailed report on the issue.
