RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco expects a record grains harvest of 10 million tonnes this year on "exceptional" good rainfalls, the head of the country's main farming group said on Tuesday.
"We are looking to harvest 100 million quintals (10 million tonnes) of cereals this season as the amount of rain that fell on Morocco was the highest in more than 20 years," Ahmed Ouayach, said chairman of the Moroccan Agriculture and Rural Development Confederation (COMADER).
He told Reuters that he saw as a result of the expected good crop that Morocco would slash its imports of cereals by up to 90 percent.
Morocco imports between 1 million and 3 million tonnes a year, mostly soft wheat, to plug shortfalls in the domestic crop, which swings sharply depending on weather conditions.
"A 100-million-quintals-of-cereals harvest would mean a reduction of our grain purchases from abroad by 90 percent minimum, if not a 100 percent coverage of our cereal needs by our upcoming domestic crop," he added.
The expected harvest would compare to 5 million tonnes in 2008, 2.1 million tonnes in the previous year and 9.3 million in 2006.
"The harvest of 9.3 million in 2006 was a record. The expected harvest for this season would the highest level ever," Ouayach said.
Farming is the chief source of employment in Morocco, most of it a small-scale subsistence affair, despite ongoing reforms to expand the role of manufacturing and services.
"We are looking to harvest 100 million quintals (10 million tonnes) of cereals this season as the amount of rain that fell on Morocco was the highest in more than 20 years," Ahmed Ouayach, said chairman of the Moroccan Agriculture and Rural Development Confederation (COMADER).
He told Reuters that he saw as a result of the expected good crop that Morocco would slash its imports of cereals by up to 90 percent.
Morocco imports between 1 million and 3 million tonnes a year, mostly soft wheat, to plug shortfalls in the domestic crop, which swings sharply depending on weather conditions.
"A 100-million-quintals-of-cereals harvest would mean a reduction of our grain purchases from abroad by 90 percent minimum, if not a 100 percent coverage of our cereal needs by our upcoming domestic crop," he added.
The expected harvest would compare to 5 million tonnes in 2008, 2.1 million tonnes in the previous year and 9.3 million in 2006.
"The harvest of 9.3 million in 2006 was a record. The expected harvest for this season would the highest level ever," Ouayach said.
Farming is the chief source of employment in Morocco, most of it a small-scale subsistence affair, despite ongoing reforms to expand the role of manufacturing and services.
It also accounts for between 17 percent and 20 percent of gross domestic product depending on farm yields, themselves subject to sharp swings in rainfall from one year to the next.
Ouayach said continuing rainfalls during the sowing period between October and December prevented farmers from planting some areas.
"Farmers had planted about 4.5 million hectares compared to 5.5 million hectares last season. The huge amount of rains blocked farmers from sowing all cereals fields. Despite that, the harvest looks to be great," he added.
He hoped that the government would step in to support prices and help farmers benefit from the expected good crop.
"We do not want that farmers be punished by the higher production. We hope the government (is) to set the price at 350 Dirham per quintal," he said.
The government usually sets cereal prices at at least the same levels of imported cereals to encourage farmers and shield them from foreign competition.
Farmers in Morocco harvest cereals between June and August.
Ouayach said continuing rainfalls during the sowing period between October and December prevented farmers from planting some areas.
"Farmers had planted about 4.5 million hectares compared to 5.5 million hectares last season. The huge amount of rains blocked farmers from sowing all cereals fields. Despite that, the harvest looks to be great," he added.
He hoped that the government would step in to support prices and help farmers benefit from the expected good crop.
"We do not want that farmers be punished by the higher production. We hope the government (is) to set the price at 350 Dirham per quintal," he said.
The government usually sets cereal prices at at least the same levels of imported cereals to encourage farmers and shield them from foreign competition.
Farmers in Morocco harvest cereals between June and August.
By Lamine Ghanmi
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