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Rabat – Moroccan dam reservoirs intended for agricultural use currently have a 2 billion m³ deficit in water reserves compared to last year.
Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forestry Mohammed Sadiki recalled that rainfall this year had come late, low, and “poorly patterned in terms of time and territory,”while assessing the current agricultural campaign at the House of Representatives.
Sadiki said that 60% of the total precipitation occurred in March and April. Referring to the ministry’s data, he noted that rainfall across Morocco has only reached 200 mm since the beginning of the agricultural campaign, marking a 43% drop compared to the average of the last 30 years.
Despite lower precipitation, rainfall has restored the vegetation cover to a “normal” level in some regions. Satellite images of vegetation cover show vegetation profiles “that are nearly close to the 2015-2016 harvest year”, the minister added.
Sadiki reported that nearly 3.6 million hectares of cereal crops were planted this year, with 60% of production coming from the regions of Fez-Meknes, Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, and Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima. He added that the expected production of major grains (soft wheat, durum wheat, and barley) is estimated at 32 million quintals (Mq), down 69% from the previous record year.
Still, cereals produced in irrigated areas have contributed only roughly 20% of overall production due to the limited size of the irrigated area dedicated to cereals and the irrigation restrictions imposed on these areas.
The Moroccan minister said that rainfall in March and April helped the spring crops grow in favorable conditions. He noted that the total cultivated area has reached 230,000 hectares, including corn (115,000 hectares), chickpeas (75,000 hectares), sunflowers (30,000 hectares), and beans (8,700 hectares).
The cultivated area of sugar beet is nearly 39,000 hectares and that of sugar cane is 10,000 hectares. Despite the decrease in the area cultivated this year, the preliminary forecasts expect the production of 380,000 tons of white sugar.
Regarding crops in the flowering stage (citrus, olive, palm, and rosaceous), Sadiki said that they showed good production prospects, despite their high dependency on weather conditions in May, June, and early July.
Read also: Morocco Expects Good Agricultural Harvest in 2022
However, when it comes to food exports, Sadiki noted that fruits and vegetables have recorded an increase of 18% (nearly 1.246 million tons) compared to 2021.
Tomatoes remain the most exported fruit, representing 46% of total food exports. Citrus exports also increased by 41% (707,000 tonnes) compared to the previous year.
He also stressed that the improvement of rangeland and fodder resources for the spring season, as well as support for farmers by the National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA) helped the livestock market recover. The health situation of livestock is satisfactory in all regions of Morocco, he added.
As part of preparations for Eid Al-Adha, Sadiki highlighted that 240,000 fattening units of livestock had been identified and registered in Morocco. The identification process of sheep and goats is expected to cover 7 million animals.
“Taking into account all these factors, the gross domestic product of agriculture should record a maximum decline of 14% this year, due to the difficult climatic conditions and the exceptional performance recorded last year,” he concluded.
Read also: Eid al-Adha: A Foreigner’s First Time Celebrating in Morocco
