Morocco devotes 64 percent of agricultural land to cereals and vegetables

Some 64 percent of farming lands in Morocco are used to grow cereals and vegetables, Moroccan Agriculture Minister Habib El Malki said.

Cereals and vegetables contribute 12 and 36 percent of the agricultural output, the minister said at a meeting of the governing board of the national cereals and vegetables inter-professional office (ONICL).

El Malki called on farmers to enhance productivity and contribute to the development of the cereals and vegetables sector.

Moroccan households spend 25 percent of their food expenditure on cereals and vegetables, he said.

The minister announced that the government will earmark more than $37 million to finance agricultural development projects, part of the 1999-2003 five-year development plan.

ONICL director general, Abdelhay Bouzoubaa, said Morocco sold more than 1.1 million tons of cereals during the 1998 harvest.

He conceded that cereals and vegetables supply decreased tangibly due to adverse weather conditions.

ONICL supervises the supply of the national market with cereals and vegetables and the cereals stocks.