King Mohammed VI of Morocco, received on Wednesday at the royal residence in Bouznika, the head of government, Aziz Akhannouch and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohamed Sadiki.
This audience is part of the Royal solicitude of the King for the rural population and all components of the agricultural sector, especially at a time when the agricultural season is experiencing a large deficit of rainfall.
The national average rainfall has so far reached 75 mm, recording a deficit of 64% compared to a normal season.
This climatic and hydric situation negatively impacts the progress of the agricultural campaign, especially the fall crops and the availability of pasture.
King Mohammed VI stressed the need for the government to take all necessary emergency measures to cope with the impact of the deficit of rainfall on the agricultural sector.
This exceptional program elaborated by the government aims at mitigating the effects of the delayed rainfall to alleviate the impact on the agricultural activity and to provide assistance to the affected farmers and herders.
King Mohammed VI has given His instructions for the Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social Development to contribute an amount of MAD 3 billion to this program, which will require a budget estimated at MAD 10 billion.
The three main aspects of the program are:
The first aspect deals with the protection of animal and plant capital and the management of water scarcity. The second aspect concerns agricultural insurance.
The third relates to the reduction of financial burdens on farmers and professionals, the financing of operations to supply the national market in wheat and fodder, in addition to the funding of innovative investments in the field of irrigation.”
