Ahmed El-Bawari announces a government plan to support farmers and protect oases in the Zagora region.
Ahmed El-Bawari, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fishery, Rural Development, Water and Forests, announced a series of governmental measures aimed at supporting small farmers and addressing water depletion in the Zagora region, amidst the challenging conditions faced by the oases due to climate change and low rainfall.
In response to a written question from parliamentary member Fatima Yassine from the Movement Popular group, the minister confirmed that the government has allocated a budget of 391.1 million dirhams from 2023 to 2025 to implement several programs and projects. This includes a hydrological development program that entails the rehabilitation of a 66-kilometer long major irrigation network, as well as the restoration of small and medium irrigation channels over a distance of 130 kilometers.
To improve water supply in the region, the minister noted that two new wells were drilled and six wells equipped with solar pumping systems were completed in 2024. Additionally, plans are in place to drill six new wells and equip 22 extra wells this year, along with measures to protect the oases from fires by preparing channels, clearing palm tree nests, and distributing offshoots, as well as infrastructure work on 16 kilometers of pathways within the Tarnata oasis.
In relation to efforts to recharge groundwater aquifers, El-Bawari highlighted an agreement with various stakeholders in the water sector to establish 50 artificial recharging structures in the Drâa and Meider basins over three years, with 52 percent of the work completed to date.
The minister indicated that efforts to repair flood damage included plans to build 11 structures and seven diversion dams, in addition to repairing damaged channels and routes over a distance of 18 kilometers, to alleviate isolation for residents through the improvement of rural pathways and technical installations.
Concerning fodder support, 45,000 quintals of subsidized barley were distributed in 2024, with the same quantity allocated to farmers in the region for 2025.
El-Bawari also revealed significant progress in equipping agricultural lands with drip irrigation technologies, with drip-covered areas reaching approximately 23,332 hectares, benefiting 4,719 farmers, supported by a total state financing of around 1.21 billion dirhams through the Agricultural Development Fund.
The government official emphasized that the ministry will continue implementing similar projects under the Green Generation 2020-2030 strategy, aimed at enhancing the resilience of national agriculture against the impacts of climate change while paying special attention to the protection of oasis heritage and the development of essential agricultural infrastructure in the Zagora region.
