Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 8:03 p.m.
Guercif – Participants in a conference organized on Saturday in Guercif as part of the activities of the 4th edition of the Regional Olive Fair, highlighted the need for saving irrigation water as a priority and an option essential to confronting climate change.
The speakers at this meeting, initiated by the Regional Directorate of the Oriental Agricultural Council, highlighted the importance of raising awareness among farmers and the various actors in the agricultural sector in the province of Guercif about the rational use of land. water, given the scarcity of this vital resource and its impact on the sustainability of agriculture in the region.
They considered that the saving of water intended for agriculture constitutes one of the main priorities to face the environmental and economic challenges that the province and the Oriental region are facing, due to the impact increasing climate change on water resources and agricultural activity.
These challenges, they noted, require strengthening collective commitment through initiatives that take into account the needs of farmers and guarantee the sustainability of the agricultural sector as an essential lever for the economic and social development of the region.
They thus insisted on the need to increase awareness of the scarcity of water resources and to encourage farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, including drip irrigation technique, the choice of crops more resilient to drought and strengthening the capacity of the agricultural sector to adapt to extreme climatic events, through better water management and reducing the impact of drought on agricultural production.
The participants in this conference also underlined the importance of involving farmers in the preservation of natural resources, as main actors in ensuring the continuity of agricultural activity, as well as intensifying awareness campaigns, organize training and provide technical and material support to facilitate the transition to innovative and sustainable agricultural practices.
Aïcha Zriki, representative of the Regional Directorate of the Oriental Agricultural Council, told MAP that the organization of this meeting is part of efforts to raise awareness among farmers of the need to save water , to inform them about the most recent techniques and systems used for agricultural irrigation, and to allow them to know the offers, aid and financial subsidies intended to save irrigation water, as well as the procedures to follow to do so. benefit.
She added that this symposium aims to highlight the importance of raising awareness of the harmful consequences of water waste, particularly in light of the successive years of drought in the region and its future impacts on the agricultural sector, as well as to the need for collective action to protect water tables and soils from depletion and degradation, noting that the adoption of efficient irrigation methods helps improve the quality and yield of agricultural crops.
For his part, Abderrahim Benslaou, president of the “Tamoulit” agricultural cooperative, considered that such meetings are of great importance at the moment, stressing that farmers in the province of Guercif urgently need such initiatives and conferences. raising awareness, particularly in the area of rational water use, bringing them closer to the most recent systems and technologies used for agricultural irrigation.
As part of the activities of the 4th edition of the Regional Olive Fair which is held from November 15 to 19, the Regional Directorate of the Agricultural Council has dedicated two advice spaces on agricultural entrepreneurship and social protection.
Study days are also organized to strengthen the technical capacities of participants on important subjects linked to the olive sector, led by experts, researchers and engineers specializing in the field.
