The head of the agricultural production service at the Moulouya Regional Agricultural Development Office (ORMVAM), Hafida El Aallam, explained in a statement to MAP that 60 pc of the production of these citrus fruits, of which a good quantity will be exported, concerns clementine varieties.
Ms. El Aallam underlined the importance of the “clementine” production chain which stands out for its high quality and great demand on the domestic and foreign markets, highlighting the important economic and social role played by the clementine sector. citrus fruits, through the creation of jobs on farms and packaging units, in addition to the added value it brings for agricultural production in the Moulouya basin.
According to her, the citrus industry has been significantly affected by climate change, notably successive years of drought and water shortage in the Moulouya basin complex, which has led to a drop in production of around 14 pc during this season.
However, she specified that the improvement observed in the hydraulic basin at the start of the 2024-2025 season, due to the increase in the quantity of water available, contributed to improving the quality of production and increasing the quantity produced, adding that this also contributed to the development of trees which suffered from drought in past seasons, which will have a positive effect on late varieties such as ”Maroc late”.
The citrus sector, which generates significant added value representing 23 pc of the overall value of the plant production sector, contributes to the creation of more than 2.8 million working days per year on farms and packing stations. .
In this context, Kassimi Mohamed, manager of a citrus farm, noted that despite the drought, this year’s production in this farm, which covers an area of 60 hectares of “Clémentine Berkane”, is is improved compared to recent years, highlighting the efforts made to preserve this highly prized variety thanks to its taste and organoleptic qualities.
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In a similar statement, he indicated that the support provided by the Moulouya Regional Agricultural Development Office, particularly with regard to irrigation, contributed to saving trees and improving production.
-For his part, Jihane Belhouari, manager of a citrus fruit packaging and export station in Berkane, focused on the role played by this industrial station, which started its activities in 2021, in contributing to the increasing productivity and creating employment opportunities in the region.
She said that this station, which exports its products to many countries, particularly European countries such as France, the Netherlands and Germany, as well as Asian countries such as Russia, and to other countries abroad. future, aspires to create new employment opportunities thanks to its new unit which will be dedicated to the production and export of natural (organic) products.
According to the Regional Directorate of Agriculture of the Oriental region, the serious drought and the worrying shortage of irrigation water in all the dams of the hydraulic complex of the Moulouya basin, which characterized the 2023-2024 season , had a negative impact on the condition of the plants and the different growth stages of citrus plants from flowering to fruit growth, which had an effect on yield and quality.
However, considered the same source, the irrigation cycles which benefited citrus fruits at the beginning of the season, taking into account the improvement of water reserves, will have a positive impact on the farms and the quality of late citrus varieties , and will also help to revitalize a significant percentage of plantations that have suffered from the effects of drought, in addition to preparing the flowering phase for the following season.
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The citrus sector is considered one of the most important production sectors in the Moulouya basin, since citrus cultivation covers an area of more than 19,000 hectares (of which 65 pc are of the small-fruited variety).
Citrus cultivation covers approximately 25 pc of the irrigated area, just as citrus fruits represent 40 pc of the total plantations in the Moulouya irrigated area.
With MAP
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