The rate of precipitation is increasing, but the water situation is still worrying (Muhammad Siddiqi)

Agadir 24 | Agadir24

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, Mohamed Seddiqi, reported today, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, that the average precipitation as of this April had reached 224 mm, an increase of 9 percent compared to last year.

My friend, in answering a pivotal question during the oral question session in the House of Advisors, indicated that this rate remains 27 percent lower compared to a normal agricultural year, that is, the rate of the last 30 years, adding that the total stock of dams used in the agricultural field has reached To 31 percent, compared to 32 percent during the past year, or about 4.3 billion cubic meters.

He highlighted that this situation was reflected in the 100 share of irrigation in the Grand Irrigation Districts, which no longer exceeds 680 million cubic meters during the current agricultural season, of which 300 million cubic meters have been used since the beginning of the year, indicating that the area that can be irrigated in the Grand Irrigation Districts does not exceed 400,000. Hectare out of 800 thousand hectares, a decrease of 44 percent.

Regarding the situation of crops up to today, Siddiqi reported that the cultivated area of ​​autumn and winter crops, especially autumn grains, amounted to about 2.5 million hectares, compared to 4 million hectares in normal years, that is, a significant decrease of 31 percent, pointing out that precipitation Rainfall, which some regions of the Kingdom have witnessed recently, has improved the situation of grains, especially in the regions of Fez Sais, Gharb, and Loukos.

He pointed out that the areas of fodder crops amounted to 470 thousand hectares, food crops 109 thousand hectares, and sugar crops 22 thousand hectares, that is, 42 percent less than expected, due to the lack of irrigation capacity in the Doukkala and Tadla regions.

Regarding autumn and winter vegetables, the Minister reported that the cultivated and irrigated areas amounted to 90 thousand hectares, or 90 percent of the planned program, of which 57 thousand hectares were for winter vegetables, highlighting that production of winter and autumn vegetables will enable meeting the needs of the national market until next June. .

Regarding spring crops, which recovered thanks to the recent rainfall, the total area reached 112 thousand hectares, i.e. more than 70 percent of the planned program three weeks before the end of the program, as the expected production will enable it to meet the needs of the national market during the summer season.

On the other hand, Seddiqi stressed that price subsidies have reached an unprecedented level, especially with regard to the production factors of seeds, fertilizers and fodder, in order to reduce the cost of production in implementation of the high instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to mitigate the effects of the water deficit on agricultural activity, stressing that This support will continue in the coming months.

He highlighted in this context that for the first time in the Kingdom, nitrogen fertilizers, all of which are imported, were supported with a financial envelope amounting to 2.2 billion dirhams, and 1.3 million quintals of these fertilizers were distributed, especially in irrigated areas or areas that witnessed recent rainfall, and 672 thousand quintals of Subsidized seeds range between 50 and 70 percent of the purchase price, in order to reduce the cost of production and prices for consumers, indicating that about 18 thousand producers have benefited from these subsidies, which have so far amounted to 140 million dirhams.