The government of Morocco has sealed two deals with African Development Bank (AfDB) that is set to boost agriculture and social protection.
The first agreement inked will see Morocco receive a loan of US $198million for the implementation of reforms aimed at developing the productivity and resilience of cereal farming to guarantee food security and reduce the country’s dependence on grain imports.
Agriculture in Morocco
The second deal involves a loan of MAD 944 million to be used to support the project of the generalization of social protection as a priority, particularly the achievement of universal health coverage and the generalization of family allowances. The loan that is contributing to the development of the program is set at MAD 944 million. Minister Delegate in charge of the budget Fouzi Lekjaa, and Resident Representative of the National Office of the African Development Bank in Rabat Achraf Tarsim attended the signing ceremony.
Agriculture in Morocco employs about 40% of the nation’s workforce. Thus, it is the largest employer in the country. In the rainy sections of the northwest, barley, wheat, and other cereals can be raised without irrigation. The sector contributed to Morocco’s GDP by 11.68% in 2020. However, it is witnessing several challenges amid the worst drought to affect the country in three decades.
In August, Morocco’s ministry of agriculture is expecting the added value of the country’s agriculture sector to drop by 14% by the end of this year. The drop is expected to cause a decline amounting to 1.8 points in agriculture growth, the ministry said, attributing the downbeat development to the low production of cereals in Morocco this season.
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