Severe Hailstorm Devastates 9,000 Hectares of Farmland in Morocco’s Fès-Meknès Region

In a press release, the Ministry of Agriculture noted that several provinces in the region were severely impacted by this rare phenomenon, reports the MAP. It also adds that the intensity of the storm in certain areas has caused damage to several crops and some agricultural infrastructure. Following this storm, provincial committees composed of ministry services and representatives of the Regional Chamber of Agriculture of Fès-Meknès, as well as representatives of the Moroccan Interprofessional Olive Federation (INTERPROLIVE) and the Interprofessional Federation of the Fruit Tree Sector in Morocco (FEDAM) visited the field to assess the extent of the damage and identify the potential impacts on the various crops.

In detail, this affected area is spread over 27 rural municipalities in the region. These are in particular the provinces of Meknès, Sefrou, Ifrane, El Hajeb, Fès, Moulay Yacoub, Taza and Boulemane. The damage caused by this storm mainly affected fruit trees (rosaceae and olive trees) and market gardening and cereal crops.

For the ministry, the damage is minimal in farms equipped with anti-hail nets or located in areas equipped with anti-hail generators. In the Fès-Meknès region, 6,260 hectares are equipped with this type of equipment subsidized by the Agricultural Development Fund, for an envelope of 310 million dirhams.

According to the same source, 68 anti-hail generators are managed effectively and efficiently by the National Federation of Users of Anti-Hail Generators. The ministry also promised to allow most of the affected crops to benefit from the multi-risk crop insurance program set up by its department to support farmers and covered by the Moroccan Agricultural Mutual Insurance Company (MAMDA).

As for farmers who had previously subscribed to this insurance with MAMDA, they are invited to make individual declarations on the damages and to deposit them with the Provincial Directorates of Agriculture within a maximum period of 5 days as stipulated by the procedure.