Minister deplores critical situation of grain production in Morocco

Moroccan Agriculture Minister Habib El Malki said the situation of cereals in Morocco is very critical in non-irrigated areas, due to the shortage of rainfall.

The minister told a parliamentary committee unusually-low temperatures last December and January coupled with the absence of rain since January have entailed negative effects on grain culture. He announced that the CNCA bank specialized in financing farming has decided to write off debts not exceeding 10,000 DH ($1,000) owed by 140,332 small farmers. He added that the state has paid up to last January worth $266 million, which is 86% of the budget allocated to a national program to alleviate drought effects.

The situation of cereal-growing in irrigated areas is, however, satisfactory, he said.

Morocco's western regions experienced last week unusually-hot temperatures of more than 30 degrees celsius, caused by hot winds coming from the south. The average temperature at this period stands at 19 degrees.