Morocco’S Mcontinent, Has a Total Area Middle of the Country and Extend Economy
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REGIONAL REPORT AH ighG Techr Age in Meorocnco: Plan to stimulate Growth OROCCO, located in the cities such as Fes and Meknes. The Agricultural development is still seen as the important northwest of the African Central Hills, that run along the springboard for development in other sectors of Morocco’s Mcontinent, has a total area middle of the country and extend economy. The local Authorities have therefore made of 450 000 km² (bigger than from northeast to southwest, con - substantial efforts to improve the productivity of Germany, slightly smaller than stitute the third geographical unit. agriculture. The Royal Estates, farming themselves neighbouring Spain) and 35 mil - They consist of the mountain lion inhabitants. It is bordered in ranges of the Central, Upper and thousands of hectares in a very High Tech fashion, have the west by the Atlantic Ocean, in Lower Atlas, which run almost par - almost always pioneered the introduction of the most the north by the Mediterranean allel to one another. The peak modern farming techniques in the country. As the cities grow Sea, in the northeast by Algeria (Mount Toubkal) is in the Upper and the number of people left farming the land decreases, and in the southeast and south by Atlas at 4,165 metres above sea there is an ever increasing need to intensify agricultural Mauritania. level; the famous city of Marrakech production. The country has therefore undertaken an Geographically, the country can be and other important economic/ divided into four units: The Coastal agricultural centres such as Beni extensive programme of education and technology transfer Plains, which extend along the Mellal are located just at the foot that will – hopefully – help to solve the most crucial problem entire Moroccan coastline, are of the mountains. The Desert Hills, that the country is facing: a desperately low water use narrow on the Mediterranean that are extensions of the south - efficiency. It is essential for the State to develop Coast and wide on the Atlantic ern slopes of the Upper and Lower irrigation: within the context of the Green Morocco Plan Coast. Some of the most impor - Atlas Mountains, constitute the launched in 2008, the Ministry of Agriculture has set up a tant cities are located there: fourth unit. They have a very small Rabat, Casablanca, and Agadir. economical and agricultural National Irrigation Water Saving Programme (PNEEI), which These plains are crossed by the weight. sets out, among others, to increase the number of hectares majority of the rivers and valleys of under microirrigation. So far, only slightly more than one the country; the second unit can AGRICULTURE CONTRIBUTING million hectares have been equipped with irrigation systems be called the Northern Hills, that 19% OF GDP by the State, out of the 8 million hectares of arable land run parallel to the Mediterranean The average population density is available in Morocco. According to the first figures released Sea and are called the El-Reef 72 – inhabitants/km² (versus 61- Mountains with their peak reach - inhabitants only 10 years ago) but by the Ministry, the national irrigation water-saving ing 2,456 metres above sea level; on the coastal areas the popula - programme was aiming to install adapted irrigation systems they are home to other important tion density is higher. It is low in on an extra 550,000 hectares over a period of 10 years. The State is allocating a budget of 37 million DH to the programme and a number of loans from banks have been lined up also for this purpose. At present, 270,000 hectares have been converted (half of this in 2008), with an additional 50,000 hectares due to be put under irrigation in 2014. This goal will ultimately be achieved by 2020, even if the total number of hectares under adapted irrigation systems is still low. New Ag International went to analyse the ins and outs of today’s Moroccan agriculture. 52 www.new ag international.com REGIONAL REPORT the mountains and desert zones, of Morocco in 2013 is a combina - Over the years, the Government 45,000 ha of which almost where it is concentrated around tion of revenues from agriculture, has taken various measures to 40,000 ha of table grapes) also the oases. 45% of the population Phosphates mining and process - improve yields, including the provi - benefit from productivity gains. is rural and more than 50% of the ing, new industries (cars, etc…) sion of certified seeds (at 40-60% Altogether the trend in Morocco active population lives directly or and tourism of course. of the cost), subsidies for farm has been similar to that of many indirectly from agriculture. The machinery and irrigation equip - countries in the Mediterranean agricultural sector contributes CEREALS STILL THE BACKBONE, ment (30-70% of the purchase basin: an increasing importance of 19% to the national GDP, divided FRUITS & OLIVES UP cost) and subsidies for soil testing cash crops, in particular those between agriculture (15%) and Cereals (see table 1), have always to optimize fertilizer application. crops that can be exported and agro-industry (4%). This sector been the backbone of Moroccan Among other broad acre crops, earn hard currency (early season employs over 4 million people agriculture. Almost all farms are sugar beet remains of importance vegetables in particular but also including about 100,000 in agro- cropping some cereals. Wheat with record yields, while the sun - dates and citrus). Within this industry. largely leads with 3.2 million flower acreage has continued to trend, protected cropping has Apart from the southern desert hectares (of which 1.1 million ha substantially decrease during the again gained momentum. hills, agriculture is found every - of Durum wheat), followed by bar - last 10 years. Cotton has almost where in the country and has ley. The 2013 grain harvest was disappeared. MORE THAN 10,000 HA always been a pillar of the eco - concluded on a very positive note: Olives represent almost a million OF GREENHOUSES nomic development (that started almost 10 million tons (30% hectares, nearly double from ten Protected cropping was intro - with the building of big dams in above the 5 year average), of years ago after a national plan duced in Morocco about 40 years the sixties). This is a major differ - which 7 million for wheat alone was implemented. Other tree ago. In the early nineties the ence with neighbouring Libya and (40% above the 5 year average crops (almonds in particular) are acreage covered was already close Algeria where the weight of Oil and 81% above the 2012 crop). also on the increase. Apples and to 5,000 ha. In the meantime it and Gas in the economy is far Being largely rain-fed, cereal pro - peaches are becoming more High has exponentially increased to more important than that of agri - duction in Morocco is highly vari - Tech, as well as a number of veg - reach roughly 11,500 ha today, of culture. The US$ 103 billion GDP able. Even in good years like 2013, etables (e.g. string beans, onions, which only 500 ha are glasshous - Morocco relies heavily on wheat strawberries, tomatoes) that fea - es (nurseries and floriculture), imports to cover its consumption ture an upgrading of cropping slightly above 1,000 ha are mini- needs. techniques. Grapes (currently tunnels (strawberries and mel - ons/watermelons) and the rest – close to 10,000 ha is plastic greenhouses. Historically, vegetable crops were the first crops grown under green - houses in the country. A major step occurred in the early eighties when greenhouse banana was introduced. The Royal Estates were www.new ag international.com 53 REGIONAL REPORT the first ones to test the technique Agadir). This region alone pro - importance of irrigation is of canals to transfer water from (they have had a pioneering role in duces about 60%, 50%, and 40% course not the same from one dams to the citrus areas that are the introduction of a number of of the national output for vegeta - crop to the other: Whereas only at high risk. other innovations in the High Tech bles, bananas and flowers respec - 7% of cereals are under irrigation, To cut a long story short, it is fair Ag sector in the country). tively. all citrus and most of sugar beet to say that the country loses more Greenhouse banana today repre - are irrigated as well as an increas - than half of its reserves of water sents about 5,400 ha, i.e. 40 % of 1.3 MILLION HA IRRIGATED, AND ing acreage of the olive trees. Of because of the badly managed the total greenhouse area. New A TREMENDOUS WASTE OF WATER course all greenhouse crops are system of irrigation!! protected crops have been intro - With 1.3 million hectares irrigated irrigated. Over the past 30 years, Morocco duced (pineapple and table grapes and an area equipped for irriga - Morocco, a country at the fore - has had to cope with 20 dry years in particular) but the acreage has tion from 1.45 to 1.65 million front of Water Use Efficiency? with 3 episodes of drought, each remained anecdotal. The bulk of hectares (depending on the Unfortunately not! Less than 15% of which lasted for four consecu - the acreage (60%, i.e. close to sources of information), the irri - of the water produced by dams is tive years. This situation has 8,000 ha) is early season vegeta - gated area has not really pro - used as drinking water, while agri - further fragilized the country bles and tomato is by far the num - gressed during the past ten years. culture absorbs a staggering 80%, and placed it in the category ber one crop, covering more than About 1 million ha is managed a large chunk of which is wasted of a water-stressed country.