Morocco launched its 2026–2027 agricultural season on Saturday in the Tadla plain, seeking to build on a cereal harvest of approximately 90 million quintals while expanding irrigation infrastructure and securing subsidized seeds for farmers facing rising production costs and climate uncertainty.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty Minister Khalid Hatimi announced the new season during a visit to agricultural projects in Beni Mellal and Fquih Ben Salah, following favorable rainfall that helped lift cereal production during the previous season.
“From the heart of the Tadla plain, we are launching the new agricultural season,” Hatimi told Hespress, expressing hopes for higher productivity, greater agricultural value and sustainable employment benefiting farmers and consumers.
The minister acknowledged that favorable harvests alone would not address the sector’s longer-term difficulties. Climate change, geopolitical disruptions and higher input prices required new approaches to agricultural planning, he said.
“We cannot continue with the same approach,” Hatimi said, calling for modernized production methods and greater investment under Morocco’s Green Generation strategy.
The ministry’s preparations include securing agricultural inputs, developing production chains, expanding agricultural insurance and modernizing irrigation systems, with particular attention to farmers’ access to certified seeds.
In Sidi Hammadi, Fquih Ben Salah province, Hatimi inspected a regional distribution center operated by the National Seed Marketing Company, SONACOS, which supplies farmers with certified, subsidized seeds.
Representatives of agricultural research institutions, advisory services, Cosumar, agricultural insurers and Crédit Agricole du Maroc also reviewed arrangements for the new season before the minister formally launched sowing operations.
The visit placed particular emphasis on irrigation efficiency in the Tadla agricultural perimeter, where water infrastructure remains central to maintaining production.
At Beni Moussa West, Hatimi inspected a filtration station developed under the REDI irrigation project at a cost of MAD 15 million. The facility serves approximately 3,243 hectares and 900 farmers, supporting the conversion to localized irrigation and modernization of water distribution networks.
He also reviewed work on the modernization of the Zaidania Canal near Kasba Tadla, a MAD 395.22 million project intended to reduce water losses, improve hydraulic performance and secure irrigation supplies for agricultural holdings.
The investments are designed to improve water management while supporting production in a region dependent on irrigated agriculture.
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