Nizar Baraka: Regulating Water-Intensive Crops and Significant Reduction of Watermelon Cultivation in Zagora
The Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, announced that Morocco is taking several measures to limit the depletion of water resources caused by water-intensive crops, such as avocado and watermelon, amid the ongoing drought crisis. During a press conference, he clarified that avocado cultivation is now restricted to areas with sufficient water resources, particularly the Gharb region, and that financial support for this crop has been halted.
Baraka confirmed that government intervention in agriculture takes place through support mechanisms or their suspension, noting that stricter decisions have been made in certain areas, such as the prohibition of watermelon cultivation in Tata and a 75% reduction in its area in Zagora.
The minister pointed out that the government has begun identifying types of crops and their water needs, incorporating the cost of water into future agricultural projects relying on desalinated water. He also revealed an improvement in dam water levels, reaching 39.23% compared to 31.12% during the same period last year, thanks to recent rainfall, although deficits continue in some basins, particularly in Tensift and Oum Er-Rbia.
Baraka affirmed that national drinking water needs have been met thanks to desalination projects, which include 17 plants with a production capacity of up to 320 million cubic meters per year, with plans for further new projects, particularly plants in Casablanca and Dakhla, to secure water resources for the future.
