Fruit trees cultivated area on the rise

The area of fruit trees cultivated area in Morocco has been recording a steady rise during the past two decades.

According to the agriculture department, the areas covered with rosaceous type trees producing fruits with pits or stones have gone up from 30,100 hectares (ha) in 1980 to 57,890 ha in 1998 and production went up from 276,000 tons to 548,500 tons.

Production of stone-fruits -- especially apricots, cherries, peaches, plums and nectarines -- has jumped from 144,000 tons to 203,500 tons, while the cultivated area went up from 18,300 ha to 25,440 ha between 1980 and 1998.

The area covered with pit-fruits such as apples, pears and quinces jumped from 11,800 ha to 32,450 ha, while production rose from 132,000 to 345,000 tons.