Morocco decreases the area reserved for sugar crops

The area of sugar crops has been on a downward trend for several years. The area reserved for sugar crops decreased during the 2020/2021 agricultural season. At issue: their high water consumption, which forces farmers to turn to other crops. According to Mohamed Alamouri, President of the Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture and Rural Development, the area of sugar crops has increased to 45,000 ha against the usual 55,000 ha. A downward trend more observed in irrigated regions and which is explained by the fear of insufficient water in the dams. Indeed, “the country provides coverage of its sugar needs, at only 50%. The reason for this is the high water consumption of sugar cane, which poses a real problem, even pushing some farmers in regions such as Loukos to abandon this crop altogether. In addition, its performance decreases from year to ...