Cereal production down 49% in Morocco’s 2018-2019 crop year

 

Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries announced that cereal production in the 2018-2019  has reached 52 million quintals, down by 49 % compared to last year.
 

The ministry said in a statement that the total cereal production area reached 3.6 million hectares.
 

“The total production is divided into 26.8 million quintals for soft wheat, 13.4 million quintals for hard wheat and 11.6 million quintals for barley,” said the statement of the ministry.
 

The ministry cites a poor rainfall season as the main reason for the drop in crop production.
 

“Rainfall was 290.5 mm by the end of May 2019, down by 23% compared to the year before,” the ministry said.
 

The agricultural value-added of this crop year is estimated at MAD 120 billion.
 

The ministry’s statement supports a report issued by the Directorate of Studies and Financial Forecasts published in July.
 

The report showed that cereal production for the 2018-2019 season was estimated at 61 million quintals.
 

The report said that the number “represents a decrease of 40.5%” from the previous season.
 

The report added that the production would be divided up into 35 million quintals of common wheat, 13.3 million quintals of durum wheat and 12.5 million quintals of barley.
 

The directorate’s report, however, shows a positive overview of the fruit growing sectors, rearing and rangelands.
 

The report also added that the projected yields of sugar beet was estimated at 70 tonnes per hectare.
 

The document also showed a “good” forecast for olives, citrus fruits, and date palm production.