Rainfall levels sharply below average

Rainfall levels in Morocco since the start of the new farming season are sharply below average after almost two months of dry weather, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday.

The figure shows a 29 percent deficit compared to the average of a normal year, the ministry said in a statement on the weather conditions in the September-February 10 period.

The agricultural campaign in Morocco starts in September.

Morocco, which has been affected by a cyclical drought over the past ten years, is facing a third consecutive year of drought.

Agriculture employs nearly half Morocco's 10.5 million workforce and contributes to up to 20 percent of Gross Domestic Product.