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Join on Telegram Doha – Morocco faces a severe agricultural crisis as local authorities predict the 2024 wheat harvest will decline by approximately 50%, marking another blow to the country’s cereal production amid a prolonged seven-year drought.
The crisis has left vast stretches of farmland in traditional wheat-growing regions untended, including the province of Sidi Kacem, once a cornerstone of the nation’s cereal production.
According to the UN unit to combat desertification, the situation threatens Morocco’s agriculture and food security, particularly affecting cereal farmers whose wheat, maize, and barley production traditionally sustained both human and livestock consumption.
Satellite imagery from Copernicus Sentinel-2, captured on August 3, reveals large swaths of uncultivated land in Sidi Kacem due to insufficient irrigation water.
The severity of the crisis is reflected in recent production figures. Morocco’s wheat harvest in 2023 yielded only 3.4 million tons, down from 6.1 million tons in the previous year.
The situation has worsened in 2024, with total wheat production falling to 2.47 million tons, representing a 40.6% decrease from the previous year – the lowest harvest since the 2007-2008 season’s 1.58 million tons.
To address domestic demand, Morocco has significantly increased its wheat imports. Between January and June 2023, the country imported nearly 2.5 million tons of wheat, primarily from France.
However, recent data shows a shifting trade pattern, with Russian wheat imports rising by 86% in November compared to the same period in 2023, reaching 222,000 tons.
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The Moroccan government has implemented several measures to combat the water crisis. A national water management strategy, aligned with King Mohammed VI’s guidelines, focuses on water conservation and source diversification.
The country currently operates 12 desalination plants with a combined capacity of 179.3 million cubic meters annually, with plans to construct seven additional facilities by 2027, adding another 143 million cubic meters of capacity.
The scale of the water crisis is particularly evident in the agricultural sector, which consumes 87% of Morocco’s annual water demand of 16 billion cubic meters.
However, available water resources have not exceeded 5 million cubic meters annually over the past five years, highlighting the significant supply-demand gap.
In response to these challenges, Morocco has begun implementing improved water management practices, including the installation of water meters to prevent unauthorized water usage by farmers.
Supported by Sweden and the FAO, these measures aim to prevent the rapid depletion of aquifers and ensure more sustainable water resource management.
The crisis has prompted Morocco to diversify its wheat suppliers, with Russia emerging as a key partner.
Recent agreements indicate plans to increase Russian grain exports to Morocco to 1.5 million tonnes in the future. Current supplies have reached 650,000 million tonnes since the start of the 2024-2025 season, positioning Morocco among the top 10 buyers of Russian wheat.
