Projected Grain Harvest Reaches 90 Million Quintals
The Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water, and Forests, Ahmed Bouari, has announced that the current agricultural season is on track to yield a staggering grain production of nearly 90 million quintals. This positive outlook is attributed to improved weather conditions and enhanced productivity in certain regions, which have seen yields rise to as much as 57 quintals per hectare. During a question-and-answer session at the House of Councillors, Bouari highlighted that preliminary data from the ongoing harvesting operations indicate promising production levels, ranging between 15 to 57 quintals per hectare, depending on the region. He emphasized that the harvesting and marketing processes have gradually commenced across various parts of the country.
As of June 15, the quantities of grain collected have surpassed 100,000 quintals daily during the second week of the month, with the Casablanca-Settat, Fes-Meknes, and Marrakech-Safi regions accounting for approximately 84 percent of the total harvested quantities. Bouari attributed these impressive results to a significant increase in rainfall, which reached a cumulative average of about 571 millimeters by June 12, marking a 94 percent rise compared to the previous season and a 45 percent increase relative to the average of a normal year.
Proactive Measures to Support Agricultural Growth
The minister further noted that the ministry has implemented a series of proactive measures to support the agricultural season. These measures include the provision of 734,000 quintals of certified grain seeds at subsidized prices, ensuring the market is supplied with around 500,000 tons of fertilizers, and the ongoing deployment of direct sowing programs. Additionally, a complementary irrigation program has been launched, aiming to reach one million hectares by 2033, alongside the expansion of agricultural insurance coverage.
According to the estimates presented by Bouari, the anticipated production is expected to be distributed as follows: 44 million quintals of soft wheat, 21 million quintals of durum wheat, and 25 million quintals of barley. Regarding stock management, the minister confirmed that the ministry is working to enhance grain storage capacities by establishing new units with a capacity of nearly two million quintals while increasing the investment support for storage infrastructure from 10 to 25 percent.
The government has set the reference price for purchasing domestically produced soft wheat intended for industrial mills at 280 dirhams per quintal. It has also decided to suspend customs duties on soft wheat imports for the months of June and July 2026 as part of a policy aimed at prioritizing local products and strengthening food security. Furthermore, an agreement between the state and industry professionals aims to gather between 15 and 20 million quintals of national soft wheat, alongside implementing a storage grant of three dirhams for every quintal every two weeks. This initiative seeks to establish a strategic reserve of local production reaching up to eight million quintals, ensuring the country's needs are met for six months instead of just three.
As reported by ar.telquel.ma.
