Drought Threatens Morocco’s Agriculture as Rain Scarcity Persists

The current agricultural season had started well with sowing, the use of appropriate seeds and fertilizers, and the use of plowing machines. However, all these efforts seem in vain due to the scarcity of rain, laments L’Économiste. Similarly, other agricultural sectors such as arboriculture, livestock, and market gardening are experiencing the same situation.

The media points out that the problem in reality is that the citrus production this year is expected to be around 40% compared to the previous season, while at the same time, the livestock sector is not yet out of the woods. Livestock is currently being sold at prices considered to be at their lowest level by breeders. Even high-quality animals are not spared.

As for the prices of barley, bran and straw, the newspaper notes that they have increased sharply; which prompts the government to launch a rescue plan for the livestock herd, to prevent the livestock sector from suffering further. The current solution "lies in the opening of cereal fields to livestock", had indicated the Minister of Agriculture, Aziz Akhannouch, to the various actors in the sector, while last month, the deployment of a relief plan for 600,000 quintals of barley at affordable prices had been announced.

For now, the situation remains difficult to manage for the majority of agricultural regions, in the absence of rain. The rescue plan is still awaited, observes the newspaper. Under these conditions, the recovery of growth has a lead in its wing.