Mohamed Sadiki, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and Forests. Credit: MAP
The production of autumn grains for the 2022-2023 agricultural campaign amounted to 1.1 million quintals, consisting of suitable varieties with high yields and guaranteed quality, and subsidized by the state with a third of the production costs, said Monday. Minister of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohammed Sadiki.
For sugar beet, the target area is 50,000 hectares, the minister said during the oral question session in the House of Representatives, stressing that the subsidy for sugar beet seed is 1,280 dirhams/ha.
Regarding fertilizers, the minister clarified that the national market will be supplied with almost 650,000 tons of phosphate fertilizers, with price stability compared to last year’s level, and noted that the ministry is closely monitoring the development of nitrogen fertilizer prices, which are experiencing a certain decrease at the international level , in addition to the study of a formula for state intervention in certain central chains of these fertilizers to supply the national market.
As for animal production, the ministry continues to support feed according to production chains and the climatic situation, according to Mr. Sadiki, who expressed support for dairy and red meat chains to maintain their balance, protect the health of animals free from infectious diseases, as well as expansion of water points dedicated to watering livestock depending on the region.
On the agricultural insurance side, the Minister confirmed that the insured area has been revised upward to another 200,000 hectares to reach 1,200,000 hectares, while the amount of support under the Agricultural Development Fund during 2023 is 3.7 billion dirhams (MMDH), with a view to attracting an investment of 7.4 billion dirhams.
In this sense, he noted that new support will be provided to young people and to the development of collective land within the framework of the creation of an agricultural middle class, the revision of the support according to the contracts of the chains’ development programs of the production.
On the other hand, Sadiki clarified that 1,300,000 hectares have been developed under the program for autumn crops, of which 11% is irrigated, as well as 222,000 hectares of autumn crops, and the launch of the program regarding autumn cereals over an area of 50,000 hectares.
For sugar crops, the minister said 15,000 hectares have been sown out of 50,000 hectares targeted, while the area dedicated to vegetable crops is 41,000 hectares out of 103,000 hectares targeted.
