Morocco’s Agriculture Sector Poised for Strong Year After Abundant Rainfall

At the end of the work of a follow-up meeting held by the Minister of Agriculture with the central and regional senior officials on the progress of the current agricultural season, the minister indicated that "the significant and widespread rains recorded in the months of January, February and March had a very positive impact on the evolution of the agricultural season," reports la Map, stressing that these rains have favored the improvement of the plant cover and especially the rangelands, the strengthening of maintenance work (chemical weeding and the application of nitrogen fertilizers), the improvement of the water reserves of the dams for agricultural use and the levels of groundwater.

With the average national rainfall of 271.9 mm as of March 25, 2021 (compared to 286.9 mm over the past thirty years, i.e. a slight decrease of 5%), supported by a good temporal distribution and throughout the national territory, fruit growing, pruning and maturation of late citrus species, as well as new fruit tree plantings have been impacted. The reserve of dams for agricultural use is not left out. It is 6.74 billion m³ compared to 5.85 billion m³ during the last season, i.e. a filling rate of 49% compared to 43% the previous season at the same date.

The current situation is better, unlike the beginning of the 2020/2021 agricultural season, marked by difficult climatic conditions, with a major water shortage and an unfavorable spatiotemporal distribution, causing a delay in the installation of autumn crops. But, from the 3rd decade of November 2020, the rainfall deficit was made up for with the great return of the rains, thus facilitating the acceleration of the pace of soil work, sowing and the sale of agricultural inputs, especially seeds and base fertilizers.