Africa, Development & Aid, Environment, Food and Agriculture, Headlines, Middle East & North Africa, Poverty & SDGs

MOROCCO: Farmers Overcome Water Scarcity

Daan Bauwens

BENI MELLAL, Jul 31 2009 (IPS) - Researchers in the central Moroccan region Beni Mellal are introducing new agricultural techniques that increase production while reducing water usage.

The greening of Beni Mellal in Morocco. Credit: Daan Bauwens

The greening of Beni Mellal in Morocco. Credit: Daan Bauwens

Climate change seems to have driven the new measures. Before 1990, drought struck once every five years, now it comes once every two years.

Researchers are working on a dual use of rainfall and irrigation to boost production.

"Farmers in Beni Mellal have used irrigation water from two dams and subterranean reservoirs," says Mohamed Boutfirass, coordinator of the biophysical component of the project. "In 1964, the dams provided enough water for all crops in the region; now their level has diminished by 45 percent. The farmers started using more subterranean water, but that has almost been used up, putting us on a straight line to desertification."

Now the International Centre of Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) based in Syria but with centres in 15 countries, and the Institute of Agronomical Research (INRA), part of the Moroccan ministry of Agriculture, together with a regional office for agronomic values in the central Tadla region have introduced earlier sowing in the beginning of November, a month before the conventional date.

Early sowing lets seeds take advantage of early rains, and farmers do not need to irrigate in May. This saves crops from the hot Sahara wind Chergui.


Researchers have also introduced new varieties of grain that in laboratory tests have proven resistant to water stress or drought. They have also developed a deficit irrigation technique: using only 70 percent of the conventional quantity suffices for most crops. The researchers have optimised fertiliser use.

INRA and ICARDA have organised several workshops in the municipalities of Ouled Zmam and Bradia to introduce the project to local farmers. Many farmers have as a result started to use the newly developed techniques.

ICARDA and INRA regularly organise field trips for farmers. Some of these are to the Agadir region, one of the driest areas in Morocco, where farmers can see for themselves the consequences of extreme water scarcity. They speak to farmers here about techniques to fight drought.

"This is the essence of our programme," Dr. Bahri Abdeljabar, national coordinator of the ICARDA project tells IPS. "Farmers are doing the work, they are the main players. The project is community-based, that is our innovation."

The results are promising. Introduction of the durum wheat Tomouh has increased yields by 110 to 220 percent. Deficit irrigation saves the average farmer 1,000-1,200 cubic metres of water a year without reducing grain yield.

"The feeling that we are suffering from drought has practically disappeared," Abdelkebir Sefraoui, one of the participating farmers, tells IPS. "My efficiency went up: with half the effort, I have more returns than before. Financially, I have recovered fully from the years of drought.

"Besides, the new varieties, each with their own structure, colour and height, made my fields a joy to watch. That's important for a farmer."

Sefraoui often talks about the benefits of the techniques with several of his neighbours, which persuaded them to adopt the techniques. "This is what we see on the field: auto-diffusion, without the intervention of researchers or technicians," Boutfirass tells IPS.

A socio-economic study group related to the project shows that the improved techniques have led to a 35 percent increase in production.

But even though farmers are recovering, future problems line up. The commission that controls water distribution in the wider Oum Rabbia basin is planning to cut water supply to farmers by half.

According to INRA researchers the irrigation water will be cut because of increasing competition with other sectors. "Especially the tourism sector, which has enormous profits, and can pay much more for one cubic metre than these farmers," says Boutfirass. "But here again, the project can help: if we maximise production and productivity by using our new techniques, the farmer will soon be able to compete with other sectors."

In a new phase of the project, computer-driven mathematical models will calculate the crop and water distribution that maximises gains for farmers.

ICARDA and INRA plan to plot this ideal distribution and spread it on a large scale through a network of associations of water users. With help from ICARDA's international network, the research results will also be out-scaled to similar areas in other countries, "so everybody can take advantage of our research to adapt to climate change," says Dr. Bahri Abdeljabar.

 
Republish | | Print |


unlawful temptations