Farmers and civil society actors in Morocco’s flood hit areas in Gharb say persistent waterlogging in damaged farmland is creating serious obstacles to the success of spring planting, the strategy the agriculture ministry is relying on to offset losses caused by recent floods.
Local sources said assessment committees bringing together local authorities, the Gharb Regional Office for Agricultural Investment and the agriculture ministry have made significant progress in recording crop damage, with surveys completed in some areas.
They added, however, that affected farmers have not yet received seeds or fertilizer under the ministry’s recovery plan for the current season.
Mohamed El Khaoua, a farmer and civil society actor in the commune of Houafate in Sidi Kacem province, said the committees were still identifying damaged plots and asking farmers what they intended to plant, including corn, sunflower or chickpeas.
But he said the bigger problem was that much of the affected land remained too muddy for cultivation and, in some places, might not be dry enough before June. Even then, he said, the land would still need levelling and repair.
Other farmers in Kenitra and Sidi Slimane provinces voiced similar concerns, warning that the optimal planting window for spring crops is already narrowing. Some said summer irrigated crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini may prove a more realistic alternative if current conditions persist.
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