Moroccan farmers confront drought, poor harvests

2007-04-19

With their confidence bolstered by last year’s successful harvest, many Moroccan farmers chose to reject agricultural insurance policies and are now turning to the state to protect them from heavy losses due to drought.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 19/04/2007

[Sarah Touahri] Moroccan farmers have suffered from severe drought.

A severe drought in combination with Morocco's poorly developed irrigation systems has devastated the country's agriculture this year. Rainfall levels this year are at 50% of the average and grain production is expected to reach only half of last year's levels.

Abdellatif Sedrati, a crop farmer, told Magharebia that despite recent rains the harvest is certainly doomed. Of his 170 hectares, 70 are not irrigated. "They are already lost. I’ve spent close to 100,000 dirhams on inputs alone --seeds, sowing and fertilizer. Even the irrigated acreage which is largely reserved for sugar beet cultivation will not yield a good harvest," he said.

The drought has also affected livestock. Rancher Abderrahim Khyati claims that feed prices have risen beyond what livestock farmers can bear; a hay bale costs nearly twice as much as last year.

In response, Morocco has launched a 104 million dirham emergency aid plan for livestock farmers affected by the drought. The emergency response is part of an action plan adopted by the government in February to support agriculture. The plan bolsters protections for the livestock industry and assures seed supplies for the next planting season.

Ahmed Ouayach, president of the Moroccan Agricultural Federation, said that while a measured response is important, aid must be awarded and disbursed with due haste. Part of the budgeted funds will provide timely compensation to farmers with insurance. Many, however, such as Abderrahman Masoudi, do not have insurance. "Last year was good. I decided it wasn’t necessary to sign up for drought insurance," he said. Faced with this "catastrophe", he is on the verge of despair and does not know what to do.

The government's action plan addresses agricultural concerns in other areas as well. Mechanization and increased access to financing for such improvements are two of the Ministry of Agriculture's main priorities. Morocco's level of mechanization is low and micro-irrigation systems which save water are rare. The government has said that it may pay up to 100% of costs associated with improving agricultural infrastructure for irrigation and intensive farming practices, particularly for fodder crops. For other improvements and inputs, the Ministry of Agriculture has promised easy terms for debt repayment and announced that Credit Agricole will provide services to ensure that financing is more accessible. Part of this effort involves creating regional companies which will provide financing to some 800,000 farms which are currently ineligible for bank loans.

In the meantime, the Moroccan government expects cereal imports to soar up to 4 million tonnes this year. Half a million tons of barley will be fully subsidized in order to help cattle farmers, and 25% of additional imports will be subsidized. The government will assist with transport costs for certain grains and water, and it has cut the taxes and duties for barley and corn. As a final measure, the government will guarantee jobs to some 700,000 farmers through land works schemes in drought-stricken areas.