Small Ruminant Breed in Morocco.Qxd
454 Characterization of Small Ruminant Breeds in North Africa Chapter Two Small Ruminant Breeds of Morocco Ismail Boujenane Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco Introduction Agriculture plays an important role in Morocco. According to official statistics, there are 8.7 million hectares of agricultural land of which 14.4% are irrigated, 5 million are forest, and 23 million are pasture (Ministere de l’Agriculture 1998). Depending on climatic conditions, agriculture, including forestry and deep-sea fishing, annually contributes between 12% and 24% to the national GDP. In 1998, the country’s GDP was US$35,546 million and the agricultural GDP was around US$5,688 million (Secrétariat d’Etat à la Population 1999). Agriculture also employs 3.4 million people, which represents 40% of the total active population, and 76% of the rural active population (Ministere des Plans 1994). Livestock is one of the most important components of agriculture. Its contribu- tion to the agricultural GDP ranges from 20% to 25%. It employs 20% of the active rural population and secures the industry and artisanal sectors with products such as milk, meat, wool, and skins. Moreover, animal products represent 35% of total food consumption. Livestock production is practiced on 1,100,123 farms, representing 74% of the total number of agricultural farms (1,496,349 farms) (Ministere de l’Agriculture 1998). Small ruminants have an important economic and social role. Their estimated contribution to the country’s GDP varies from 1.5% to 2%. There are 781,563 farms practicing sheep production, representing 52% of all agricultural farms and 71% of all livestock farms (all species).
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