1999 grain production slumps 42% due to drought

Morocco's Cereal output in 1999 has slumped by 42%, in comparison with the average production of the last five years (6.14 million tons), the ministry of agriculture announced.

Preliminary estimates predict that this year's cereals output will not exceed 3.56 million tons, ie an average of 0.75 million tons per hectare.

Morocco is thus expected to produce 1.37 million tons of soft wheat, 3.75 million tons of hard wheat and 1.44 million tons of barley.

This decrease is the result of the drought that affected the country in October and November.