Dark-ImmoRtal Posted November 22, 2022 Share Posted November 22, 2022 Rabat - The UM6P-Al Moutmir direct seeding program plans to extend its offer to cover over 25,000 hectares for the 2022-2023 agricultural season in Morocco. The initiative is part of the program’s contribution to Morocco’s national program seeking to promote direct seeding, a statement from the OCP Group said on Monday. With the intention to reach more than 125 localities across 23 provinces, the program is at the heart of a collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. Other institutional partners to the initiative include the Regional Directorate of Agriculture, the National Institute of Agronomic Research, and the National Office of Agricultural Advice. “Seed drills are made available to more than 50 professional agricultural organizations (cooperatives, associations, economic interest groups, etc.) in 23 provinces in different regions of the Kingdom,” OCP stated. Under the program, farmers will benefit from close monitoring by the Al Moutmir teams. Training programs on the choice of varieties in cereal growing and the adjustment of seed drills are also part of the strategy. As part of the Al Moutmir program, beneficiaries will have access to soil analysis and recommendations necessary for rational fertilization use. “The initiative has set up a system for monitoring changes in the rate of organic matter in the soil of plots conducted using direct seeding,” the OCP Group said, emphasizing that this device is set to evaluate the effect of the adoption of direct seeding on the physico-chemical characteristics of the soil. In addition, over 1,030 direct seeding demonstration platforms will be installed and monitored in collaboration with the various partners. The program is targeting high-potential crops such as oil seeds, and fodder crops aimed at rearing livestock, in addition to focusing on cereals and vegetables during the 2022-2023 agricultural season. The program is part of national initiatives seeking to contribute to reviving the agricultural sector. Agriculture, one of the pillars in Morocco’s economy, has been severely impacted by inflation and drought. The North African country has been facing the most severe drought in three decades. The lack of downpours and drought caused a significant drop in cereal production in the agricultural season in 2021-2022. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Morocco’s cereal production in the previous season fell by 67% compared to a season earlier. The country produced 34 million quintals of cereals in the 2021-22 season, compared to 103.2 million quintals in the 2020-2021 agricultural year. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/11/352491/moroccos-um6p-al-moutmir-program-to-expand-to-over-25-000-hectares Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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