Heavy rainfall that recently boosted water reserves and improved prospects for Morocco’s agricultural season has begun to backfire in parts of the Loukos basin, where flooding and prolonged waterlogging are damaging crops in low lying areas near rivers and wadis.
Farmers in rural communities across Larache province say large stretches of farmland have been submerged, affecting key crops including cereals, alfalfa, oats and sugar beet.
Standing water has slowed plant growth and, in some cases, caused root suffocation, raising fears of yield losses if wet conditions persist.
Local farmer Rachid Ghazzaoui said prolonged water accumulation is already taking a visible toll. “Farmers welcome rain, but when fields turn into ponds the risk becomes real,” he said, noting significant damage to forage crops and warning that continued rainfall could lead to major losses.
Bachir Salmi, a member of a local agricultural cooperative, said sugar beet fields are particularly vulnerable. “This crop does not tolerate excess water, and flooding threatens a large part of production,” he said.
While farmers hope for a return to stable weather to allow fields to drain and crops to recover, concerns remain high due to limited drainage infrastructure in some rural areas. The situation highlights the double edged impact of intense rainfall after years of drought.
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