Meknes – The Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Ahmed El Bouari, carried out a field visit on Friday to the Meknes prefecture and the El Hajeb province, to monitor the progress of the agricultural season and the impact of recent rainfall.
This visit aims to assess the impact of recent rainfall on the agricultural season, especially regarding cereal crops, oilseeds, and fruit trees. The visit also provided an opportunity to communicate with farmers and livestock breeders about the status of the agricultural season.
According to data from the Ministry, the Fez-Meknes region, after a start to the season characterized by a lack of rainfall, has seen significant rainfall over the past few weeks, which has enabled the improvement of crop conditions, reviving the hopes of farmers and livestock breeders, as the cumulative average of rainfall in the region currently stands at 332.5 mm.
The same source indicated that the recent rains clearly show a positive impact on the vegetative state of autumn cereals, with 40 percent of cultivated areas classified as being in good condition and 49 percent in average condition, highlighting that the improvement in the situation indicates a better yield forecast than initial expectations.
The area cultivated with autumn cereals amounts to approximately 650,000 hectares, including more than 11,000 hectares of irrigated land. Soft wheat cultivation represents 48 percent of this area, followed by durum wheat cultivation at 26 percent, then barley cultivation.
Oilseeds, according to the same source, occupy approximately 1,500 hectares, including 46 percent rapeseed and 54 percent sunflower. Regarding the tree sector, the rains come at an opportune time, especially for olive trees, where their productive area reaches 360,000 hectares, or about 77 percent of the fruit tree area.
In turn, the cultivation of vegetables such as potatoes and onions in the region is witnessing a positive impact following these rains. It should be noted that the Fez-Meknes region produces about half of the national onion production and 20 percent of the national potato production.
The forest-pastoral and pastoral areas in the region, which extend over an area of 1.8 million hectares, are experiencing an improvement in vegetation cover thanks to the recent rains, which have enabled an increase in the abundance of fodder resources for livestock. The Timahdite and Beni Guil breeds are the dominant breeds in the region.
Mr. El Bouari emphasized, on this occasion, the continued commitment of the Ministry of Agriculture's services to strengthen support for farmers, listen to them, and promote projects to modernize irrigation systems and enhance innovative solutions for sustainable and resilient agriculture.
Indeed, the adoption of climate-smart technologies today seems to be an essential response to securing agricultural production, ensuring the sustainability of agricultural development, and supporting the rural economy.
The post Fez-Meknes.. Mr. El Bouari conducts a field visit to the Meknes prefecture and El Hajeb province to monitor the progress of the agricultural season and the impact of recent rainfall appeared first on MAP Express.
