Agriculture in Morocco - Overview

Morocco is a large country with approximately 8.7 million hectares of useful agricultural land. The agricultural sector is characterized by small-scale production, with 75% of farms having less than 5 hectares. Small farm size leads to diversified production, including both crops and livestock, but it also increases vulnerability to climate and market forces. Challenges faced by the sector as a whole include frequency of droughts, soil erosion, water scarcity, overgrazing, limited infrastructure and technical resources, population pressure, lack of government support, and international pressure to liberalize trade.

Major products include wheat and barley, locally produced and consumed meat, milk, and eggs, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, especially olives, tomatoes, almonds, citrus, and strawberries. Cereal production is concentrated in rainy sections of the Northwest, with more citrus, olive, and grape production on the Atlantic coast. Cereal production uses 80% of the arable land, mostly barley and wheat and a smaller amount of corn. The next biggest use is legumes with 4% of the total, including chickpeas, fava beans, lentils, and peas.

Morocco has high agricultural potential, unlike many other Arab countries that produce little of their own food (Saudi Arabia, for example, imports 98% of its food). Morocco is self-sufficient in meat and is aiming for self-sufficiency in dairy, with some support provided by government initiatives in this area. It produces two-thirds of the grain it consumes, with the rest imported from France and the United States. Morocco produces enough fruit and vegetables to supply the domestic market and export to the European market, especially fresh citrus and early vegetables such as potatoes and tomatoes. Agricultural products make up 11% of the total export trade for Morocco, and the country imports cereals, wood, leather products, dairy, vegetable oils and cattle feed from the EU. There is a structural trade deficit in agricultural products, since imports equal twice the value of exports.

Agriculture is completely tax-exempt and accounts for approximately 15% of the GDP, but employs about 40% of the population. Nearly three-quarters of the poor live in rural areas. Agricultural growth is very susceptible to climate: during the years 2002-2003, the sector grew by 12% annually due to favorable conditions, this dropped to 2% with bad conditions in 2004.