Moroccan government increases support for farmers to overcome drought
Morocco is experiencing droughts that are affecting the country's agriculture and livestock. The government has met with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, as well as the main companies in the sector, to seek solutions to alleviate the effects of the drought.
The meeting was attended by a number of important officials and representatives of different sectors, including the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohamed Sadiki, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance, Faouzi Lekjaa, the Treasurer General of the Kingdom, Noureddine Bensouda, the Director of State Domains, Mohamed El Kharmoudi, the director general of the Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration, Abdellatif Amrani, the president of the Executive Council of Crédit Agricole du Maroc, Mohamed Fikrat, the director general of the National Food Commission Security Office, Abdallah Janati, and agricultural representatives and professionals in the sector.
The main issues discussed were promoting productive services and guaranteeing supply.
Other measures focused on protecting wildlife, rebuilding livestock, improving agricultural inputs and increasing resilience to climate change.
The animal (red meat, dairy and poultry) and plant (olives, citrus, date palms, pulses, early vegetables, sugar, rice, seeds and cereals) sectors were discussed to keep them in balance.
These measures, in addition to encouraging and supporting agriculture, are also presented as measures to protect animals.
The government plans to invest in the ‘Green Generation’ strategy to support the reduction of agricultural prices without affecting the purchasing power of citizens.
Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said the government will continue to push for major investments to improve the agricultural sector and deal with the effects of the drought, taking measures to restore balance in production.
The executive will ensure that urgent measures are implemented to reduce the prices of agricultural products and maintain the purchasing power of citizens, as well as ensure a constant and sufficient supply in domestic markets.
Aziz Akhannouch emphasised the need to invest large amounts of money to modernise the agricultural sector and ensure that Morocco is self-sufficient in food production, with funding of more than 110 billion dirhams over 10 years, of which 42 billion dirhams has been allocated to the Agricultural Development Fund.
Like many countries in the Mediterranean basin, Morocco is struggling with drought-related problems. In addition to support for farmers, the North African country has become a leader in water treatment, with the construction of 36 desalination plants on the Atlantic coast by 2026, the construction of water highways as part of the National Hydrological Plan to better redistribute water resources, and efficient irrigation systems managed by artificial intelligence that help the Kingdom save large amounts of water in its intense struggle to curb the effects of drought.
