“A commission has been set up to carry out checks on the ground and, in this context, several farms have been the subject, in recent days, of unannounced checks,” reports Al Akhbarspecifying that the said commission travels through the producing areas of watermelons and yellow melons in the province. The operation led to “strong” interventions on certain farms where violations of the texts in force were noted. Machines were deployed on these sites to destroy the plantations and the installations, particularly hydraulic, put in place to develop this crop.
To read: In Zagora, watermelon makes people unhappy
This “punch” operation should “continue over the coming days, targeting other areas where watermelon cultivation is popular”, informs the daily which adds that “this campaign falls within the framework of the application of the provisions of the prefectural decree of October 31, 2023, which regulates crops that consume a lot of water. According to this text, the area dedicated to the cultivation of watermelons or melons cannot exceed 1 hectare per farmer. Better still, these crops are prohibited in areas close to water basins, such as oases or wadis.
Read: Morocco thirsty for Zagora watermelon
-The decree also provides for the establishment of local commissions responsible for controlling well water meters and ensuring the quantity of water consumed throughout the agricultural cycle. It is in application of this provision that a “commission made up of representatives of the municipalities, the auxiliary forces, the gendarmerie and the office in charge of agricultural investments in the region of Ouarzazate was set up”, informs the publication, recalling that in the face of the severe drought affecting the province, “several voices have been raised to denounce the proliferation in the region of certain crops which consume a lot of water, such as watermelon”.
Morocco
