Morocco is continuing its efforts for the development of the agricultural sector and the implementation of the Generation Green 2020-2030 strategy, launched by HM King Mohammed VI in February 2020. In this regard, the government has taken several measures aimed at ensuring the smooth running of the 2022-2023 agricultural campaign.
According to data published by the Department of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF) of the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, in the economic note for the month of November 2022, the measures in question essentially relate to “the supply of factors of production (seeds and fertilizers) and the development of agricultural sectors as well as the management of irrigation water, agricultural insurance, financing and support for farmers”.
With regard to seeds and fertilizers, nearly 1.1 million quintals of selected seeds will be made available to farmers, at subsidized selling prices, and 650,000 tonnes of phosphate fertilizers will keep the same the previous campaign.
Regarding the issue of irrigation, which arises in a national context marked by water stress, the government plans “the completion of the modernization of irrigation networks and collective conversion to localized irrigation, over an area of 117,000 ha, its continuation over an area of 38,000 ha and the equipment of 35,000 additional ha of farms with a localized irrigation system”, specifies the same source.
In terms of investment in the sector, support will be granted under the Agricultural Development Fund (FDA) and new incentives will soon be launched during the implementation of the Generation Green strategy. The subsidies, planned for 2023, are estimated at 3.7 billion dirhams with, in the end, the mobilization of an overall investment of 7.4 billion dirhams. With regard to risk coverage, multi-risk agricultural weather insurance for cereals, pulses and oilseed crops should cover an area of around 1.2 million ha. In addition, the fruit tree insurance program is expected to help insure about 50,000 ha.
At the same time, the forecast program for large-scale autumn crops which has been drawn up will be implemented taking into account water availability in the rainfed areas, namely 4.3 million ha of cereals, nearly 530,000 ha of fodder crops and approximately 205,000 ha of food legumes and 95,000 ha of autumn market gardening.
As for the national program of direct seeding, registered in the perspective of “sustainable and eco-efficient agriculture”, it will have to continue within the framework of the current agricultural campaign, on an area of 100,000 ha, in a prospect of reaching 1 million ha by 2030.
At the level of agri-food industries, aid for the development of this sector will continue through the marketing operation of the agropoles of Meknes, Berkane, Tadla, and Souss and the creation of industrial units at the level of the agropoles. With regard to the exceptional program established by the government, dated February 18, 2022, to mitigate the impact of the rainfall deficit on the agricultural sector and provide aid to the farmers and breeders concerned, a new tranche of this program has been announced.
It relates mainly to the distribution of barley and compound feed subsidized according to pastoral resources, depending on the region. In addition, 315 water points were developed and equipped and 3,204 flexible tanks were acquired for livestock watering.
Cumulative exports of the agricultural and agri-food sector increased by 20.8%, during the first nine months of 2022 (until the end of September), after +11.4 a year earlier. “This dynamic results from the increase in the value of shipments from the food industry by 22.4% and that of “agriculture, forestry and hunting” products by 18.5%, instead of +12.2 % and +10.8% respectively at the end of September 2021”, explains the note from the Department of Studies and Financial Forecasts.
