Souss-Massa Agricultural Office's Council Meeting Highlights Progress and Future Plans
On Tuesday, the Souss-Massa Regional Agricultural Development Office (ORMVA) convened its Board of Directors in Agadir, focusing on the review of achievements for the fiscal year 2025 and the status of budget execution for 2026. The meeting was chaired by Ahmed El Bouari, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests. The session was attended by the Wali of the Souss-Massa region, Governors from the relevant provinces, the President of the Regional Council, the President of the Regional Agricultural Chamber, and representatives from provincial councils in Agadir Ida-Outanane, Chtouka-Aït Baha, Taroudant, and Inezgane-Aït Melloul, among others, as stated in a communiqué from the Ministry of Agriculture.
In his opening remarks, Minister El Bouari emphasized the significant contributions of the Souss-Massa region to national agricultural production, the development of high-value supply chains, agricultural exports, and job creation. He highlighted the urgent need to continue modernization efforts within the sector and accelerate the deployment of key projects amid challenges posed by climate change and water resource scarcity.
The Director of ORMVA subsequently presented the technical and financial achievements of 2025, alongside the status of budget execution for 2026. This meeting served as a platform to evaluate the agricultural supply chains for the 2025-2026 campaign and assess the progress of major irrigation and hydro-agricultural development programs. These include the National Water Economy in Irrigation Program (PNEEI), the Small and Medium Hydraulic Program (PMH), and the Resilience and Sustainability of Irrigation Project (REDI).
The year 2025 witnessed continued investments aimed at enhancing agricultural sustainability and improving the efficiency of water resource utilization. The communiqué noted that areas equipped with localized irrigation now exceed 118,000 hectares, underscoring the advancements made in the modernization of irrigation systems. Additionally, the office reported on the operational oversight of the seawater desalination plant serving the Chtouka plain, a flagship achievement of the agricultural strategy aimed at bolstering the agricultural economy of the region.
As the leading basin for citrus and early vegetable production, Souss-Massa accounted for over 65% of the national citrus exports during the 2025-2026 agricultural campaign, reinforcing its role as the primary supplier of fruits and vegetables to the national market.
From a financial standpoint, the budget execution demonstrated strong performance, with the investment budget for fiscal year 2025 fully committed at 100% and issued at 98%. Furthermore, the operational budget reflected an execution rate of 97% and an issuance rate of 81%. Notably, the collection rate for irrigation water fees on eligible receivables reached 98%. For the ongoing fiscal year, as of June 30, 2026, the investment budget shows commitment and issuance rates of 99% and 46%, respectively.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Minister El Bouari commended the commitment and strong mobilization of the ORMVA Souss-Massa teams, as well as institutional partners and sector professionals. He called for continued efforts to rally around structural projects to enhance sector resilience and strengthen the region's contribution to national agricultural development.
As reported by lavieeco.com.
