Morocco’s Costly Gamble: Desalination Plants Quench Agricultural Thirst Amid Drought Crisis

Without desalinated water, "we wouldn’t be here anymore," says Abir Lemseffer, deputy general manager of the Azura group, a giant in cherry tomato production in southern Morocco, to BFMTV. In the Chtouka plain, about 60 kilometers from Agadir, the Franco-Moroccan group irrigates nearly 800 hectares of crops with desalinated water. Since 2022, the region’s desalination plant has been providing 125,000 m³ of water per day for the irrigation of 12,000 hectares of early crops and 150,000 m³ per day for drinking water for 1.6 million inhabitants of the city and its surroundings, explains Ayoub Ramdi, a manager at the Regional Office for Agricultural Development. The plant aims to provide 400,000 m³ per day by 2026, half of which will be for irrigation.

Morocco has 16 desalination plants with a total capacity of 270 million m³ per year and plans to reach 1.7 billion m³ per year by 2030. Some 1,500 farmers have adopted irrigation with desalinated water in the Souss-Massa region, which includes Agadir. However, many others do not have the means to opt for this solution due to its high cost. Desalinated water is sold at 0.48 euros per m³ (5 dirhams excluding tax) compared to an average of 0.096 euros per m³ (1 dirham) for conventional water. "I can’t afford to use this water because it’s expensive," says a farmer who irrigates his half-hectare of zucchini and peppers with water from a well shared by sixty farmers.

Desalinated water costs even more at the factory gate: 1.05 euros per m³ (11 dirhams). "The cost of desalinated water significantly reduces the number of crops that can be irrigated, as it is only amortized by very high value-added crops," explains agronomist Ali Hatimy. In the same vein, Rqia Bourziza confirms that irrigation with desalinated water is a "very good alternative," especially "when used in high-value crops such as tomatoes or tree crops." However, Hatimy points out that "the production of desalinated water requires a lot of electrical energy and the brine discharges have an impact on marine ecosystems."

The Souss-Massa region provides 85% of Moroccan vegetable products for export. The region produces nearly two million tons per year on 29,000 hectares, generating a turnover of nearly 940 million euros, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. According to Ayoub Ramdi, a 38-year-old farmer, the desalination plant has helped avoid a loss of more than 860 million euros in added value and preserve more than one million jobs per year. "Before, I only cultivated five hectares, because I was conditioned by the amount of water I had. Groundwater was not enough," he says. "Either we accept to sacrifice part of the margin by using desalinated water, or we close the door," concludes Abir Lemseffer.