Report No. 720-MOR 7 - t Morocco-SoussGroundwater Project April 18, 1975 EMENAProjects Department Public Disclosure Authorized Not for PublicUse U Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Document of the InternationalBank for Reconstructionand Development This report was prepared for official use only by the BankGroup. It may not be published, quoted or cited without Bank Group authorization. The BankGroup does not accept responsibility for the accuracyor completenessof the report. CURRENCYEQUIVALENTS CurrencyUnit MoroccanDirham (Dli) IH 1 = US$0.238 DH 1,000 US$238 hI 1,000,000 US$238,000 WEIGHTSAND MEASURES 1 Millimeter (mm) 0.039 inches (in.) 1 hectare ha 2.47 acres 1 kilometerkm 0.62 mile 1 square meter (m2 ) = 10.76 square feet 1 cubic meter (m3) = 35.31 cubic feet 1 kilogramkg 2.205pounds 1 metric ton (m ton) = 2,205.00 pounds 1 bar. = 14.666 pounds/square inch 1 hectoliter hl 26.5 US gallons ABBREVIATIONS CLCA - Local Agricultural Credit Bank (Caisse Locale de Credit Agricole) CMV - Development Center (Centre de Mise en Valeur) CNCA- National Agricultural Credit Bank CRAFA-Regional Center for Agricultural Development and Training (Centre Regional d'Animation et de Formation Agricole CRCA- Regional Agricultural Credit Bank (Caisse Regionale de Credit Agricole) ER - Hydraulic Directorate of MTPC (Direction de l1Hydraulique) DMVA - Directorate for Agricultural Development of MARA (Direction de la Mise en Valeur Agricole) IEE - Water Resources Division of MTPC (Divisiondes Ressources en Eau) WAD - World Bank Economic Analysis and Projections Department FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations GERSAR-Groupement d'Etude des Societes d'Amenagement R6gional INRA - National Institute for Agricultural Research (Institut National de la Recherche Agricole) MARA- Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform MTi (Ministgz de l'Agriculture et de la Reforme Agraire) MTPC - Ministry of Public Works and Communications (Ministere des Travaux Publics et des Communications) OCE - Export Office (Office de Commercialisation Ext6rieure OCICL- Trade Office for Cerealsand Vegetables (OfficeCh6rifien Interprofessionnml des C&r6aleset des Legumes ONE - NationalElectricity Office (OfficeNational de l'Electricit6) ORMASK-Regional Agricultural Development Office for the Souss and Massa Areas (Office RAgional de Mise en Valeur Agricole de Souss Massa) SCET - Socidte Centrale pour l'Equipement du Territoire (International) UNJP - UnitedNations DevelopmentProgram GOVERNMENTOF THE KINGDOMOF MOROCCO Fiscal Year January 1 - December31 KINGDOM OF MOROCCO SOUSS GROUNDWATER PROJECT TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ..... ..................... i - ii I. INTRODUCTION ..................... ...............1 II. BACKGROUND .........................................o.......... A. The Agricultural Sector .............. 1 B. Institutions Responsible for Agricultural Development ............................... 2 C. Previous Bank Projects in the Agricultural Sector .................................... 3 D. The Souss Valley Master Plan .... ............ 4 III. THE PROJECT AREA ................... 4 A. Area .. ...................................... 4 B. Natural Resources ..... .............. 5 C. Land Tenure ............ ..................... 6 D. Land Use, Agrict.ltural Production and Yields 6 E. Marketing and Cooperatives ................. 6 F. Development Institutions and Credit Resources 7 C7, Water Rights ................................ 8 IV. THE PROJECT .... .....................................8 A. General ....... ............... ......... 8 B. Description ...... ........................... 9 C. Detailed Features ....o ..................... 9 D. Water Demand, Supply, Quality and Rights .... 12 E. Construction Schedule and Status of Engineering ...... ......................... 13 F. Cost Estimates ...... ........................ 13 G. Financing ....... ............................ 14 H. Procurement ...... ........................... 15 I. Disbursement ................................ 15 J. Environmental Impact ..... ................... 16 V. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ........................... 16 A. Organization and Management .... ............. 16 B. Operation and Maintenance .... ............... 18 C. Services and Training ....................... 19 D. Land Consolidation and Distribution ......... 20 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd) Page No. E. Recovery of Project Costs .... ............... 21 F. Monitoring and Conservation of Water Resources ................................. 22 G. Accounts and Audit .......................... 23 VI. BENEFITS AND JUSTIFICATION ....................... 23 A. Production ............... 23 B. Markets ............... 25 C. Prices ...................................... 26 D. Farmers' Income ............................. 26 E. Main Benefits and Beneficiaries .... ......... 26 VII. AGREEMENTS REACHED AND RECOMMENDATIONS .... ....... 27 ANNEXES 1. Monthly Average Climatic Data 2. Water Demand, Supply and Quality 3. Crop Production 4. Land Tenure in the Project Area 5. Livestock Subsector 6. Marketing 7. Agricultural Credit 8. Project Description 9. Construction and Activity Schedule 9525 (R) 10. Cost Estimates 11. Schedule of Expenditure 12. Estimated Value of Contracts 13. Schedule of Disbursements 14. Organization and Consultants 9524 (R) 15. Recovery of Project Costs 16. Economic Analysis 17. Farm Income and Budgets MAP IBRD 11381 KINGDOM OF MOROCCO SOUSS GROUNDWATERPROJECT SUMMARYAND CONCLUSIONS i. Morocco has an area of 506,000 sq km and a population of 16 million which is increasingat a rate of 2.6% per year. Its agricultureaccounts for about one fourth of GDP and is the largest production sector in the economy, providing about one-half of the exports and employment to one-half of the labor force. Agriculturalcommodities, mainly sugar, cereals, tea, dairy products, coffee and tobacco, valued at US$340 million, are imported an- nually to meet the nation's needs. ii. Irrigation is important to increase agriculturalproduction. Irri- gated land is classified in a traditionalsector with temporaryand deficient water supply and a crude distributionsystem, and a modern sector with ade- quate water supply and an efficient distributionnetwork. Out of 7.7 million ha of arable land about 840,000 ha are irrigatedwith 550,000 ha belonging to the modern and 290,000 ha to the traditionalsector. The Third Develop- ment Plan (1973-77)emphasizes improvementof the trade balance of agricul- tural products, increased farm output and farm income through irrigation and improvementin the distributionof growth benefits. The proposed Souss Ground- water Project would contributeto the realizationof these objectivesby pro- ducing import substituteproducts, implementingland consolidationand dis- tribution, improvingsupporting services and providing basic village infra- structure. The Governmentof the Kingdom of Morocco has requesteda Bank loan to help finance the project. iii. Bank Group lending to Morocco for agriculturestarted in 1965 and consisted of five loans and one credit totallingUS$140 million. Except for the latest Sebou II Project, on which it is too early to report, upcoming problems in the implementationof projects and disbursementshave been re- solved satisfactorily. Working relationswith the borrower have been cordial. iv. The project would develop irrigationon 7,300 ha of which about 1,000 ha belong to the traditionalsector. The currently unirrigatedarea of 6,300 ha would be provided with sprinklerirrigation. Water would be pumped from wells. To facilitateaccess of farmers and create,an improved rural environment the project would also provide village infrastructurefor 11 new and 9 existing villages in form of streets, street lighting, domestic water supply, schools and health and community centers tb benefit the project population of about 13,000 persons. v. The Ministry of Agricultureand Agrarian Reform (MARA),the National ElectricityOffice (ONE) and the Ministry of Urbanization,Environment, Housing and Tourism with the assistanceof other Government agencieswould be responsiblefor project implementation. The "RegionalAgricultural Develop- ment Office for the Souss-MassaArea" (ORMVASM)would be the agency of MARA chargedwith planning, design, construction,operation and maintenanceof all agriculturaland irrigationworks. General consultantswould assist ORMVASM - ii - in design preparation of contract documents and start up of the project. The Ministry of Housing would be responsible for the construction of village in- frastructure. vi. The total project cost is estimated at US$39.0 million, with a foreign exchange component of US$18.5 million. The Bank loan would finance the foreign exchange requirements and the Government would finance the local costs (US$20.5 million) with its own resources, apart from a minor contribu- tion by the project farmers (US$0.6 million). Construction would start in 1975 and be completed in 1978. The total value of the works and equipment, including taxes, duties and contingencies, that would be tendered would be about US$34.3 million. The value of works, and equipment that would be procured under international competitive bidding would be about US$25.4 million. vii. At full development, the project would increase annual production of the main crops: cereals 8,600 tons; maize 10,600 tons; pulses 900 tons; citrus 3,700 tons; olives 1,800 tons; almonds 900 tons; plus 70,000 tons, alfalfa and berseem (green). Increased annual animal production