Morocco has started its 2024/2025 agricultural campaign under good auspices, thanks to recent rainfall which has revitalized groundwater and made it possible to improve the filling rate of dams. A dynamic that paves the way for a promising season, but not without challenges.
The rains recorded over the last three months marked a turning point after a trying agricultural year. Indeed, as specified by the Department of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF) in its economic report, the average national precipitation from September 1 to December 6, 2024 amounted to 50 mm, compared to 27 mm per year. previous.
In terms of water reserves, the filling rate of the main national dams reached 28.7% as of December 18, 2024, an increase of 5.2 points compared to the same date of the previous year, with a volume of retained of more than 4.8 billion cubic meters, said the same source.
These figures give hope for an improvement in the situation to compensate for the losses recorded during the 2023/2024 campaign, where cereal production fell by 43% to 31.2 million quintals (Mqx).
Approached by MAP, Zakaria Abbass, professor-researcher in business strategy and international trade at the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fez, affirmed that the recent rains are excellent news for Moroccan agriculture.
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« These late precipitations will allow the water tables and soils to be replenished with water, necessary conditions for an optimal start of cereal crops.“, he noted.
However, the recovery depends on the regularity of rains over the coming months and the effectiveness of irrigation systems to compensate for past water deficits, and a cautious forecast is therefore necessary, because climatic hazards remain, noted Mr. Abbas.
Strengthened economic potential
The Department of Agriculture had announced important measures for this new campaign, including the distribution of certified seeds at reduced prices, subsidies for phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers, and the establishment of an ambitious irrigation program covering 700,000 hectares.
Efforts that are part of the strategy “ Generation Green 2020-2030“, which focuses on sustainability and agricultural resilience.
Abbass said subsidies for certified seeds and fertilizers help reduce costs for farmers, but they should be accompanied by simplified access to agricultural credits and an overhaul of the supply chain to avoid speculative price increases.
In this sense, he considered that arid regions like Draâ-Tafilalet also require additional support in the form of drought-resistant seeds and strengthening of water infrastructure.
Despite the challenges, agriculture remains a key economic pillar, as evidenced by the sector’s exports. Agriculture and Agri-food » which achieved a performance of +22% in the first month of the fourth quarter of 2024, after a drop of 0.6% a year earlier.
Vegetable crops, cereals and pulses, supported by subsidies and climate insurance, are expected to help stabilize domestic prices and strengthen food security.
While the first weeks of sowing look promising, experts are calling for increasing vigilance in the face of climatic hazards. The use of modern technologies, such as remote sensing to optimize irrigation, and support for small farmers will be decisive.
In this regard, Mr. Abbass judged that digital transformation and the use of smart agricultural technologies to improve crop and resource management constitute an essential lever.
To achieve the objectives of the strategy “ Generation Green » in terms of resilience and sustainability, the teacher-researcher insists on the need to capitalize on several other levers, including the inclusion of small farmers through agricultural cooperatives and better access to financing, and the promotion of agricultural sectors local products such as olive trees and local products, which offer significant added value.
The 2024/2025 agricultural campaign embodies the hope of renewal for the sector, but also the urgency of continuing efforts aimed at transforming agriculture to make it more resilient in the face of climatic hazards.
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