Sidi Ouaaziz (Taroudant) – The reconstruction and upgrading efforts in the province of Taroudant continue to revitalize the agricultural sector, which has been established as the top priority after the earthquake of September 2023.
The rehabilitation of hydro-agricultural infrastructures, maintenance of irrigation channels (Seguias), creation and equipping of water points, construction of agricultural roads, and erosion control structures are among the initiatives being implemented across the province.
In this context, an emergency program for the reconstruction and upgrading of agriculture in the areas affected by the earthquake was launched with the goal of promoting and revitalizing agricultural activities.
This program aims to rehabilitate agricultural infrastructures by combating erosion, landslides, and collapse, as well as strengthening agricultural economic infrastructures through the development and equipping of processing units and cooperative buildings.
Emphasis is also placed on restoring agri
cultural production capacity and reviving livestock farming through the replenishment of herds (distribution of livestock to disaster victims), the distribution of livestock feed, and the implementation of solidarity agriculture projects and other income-generating activities.
In a statement to MAP, Lahcen Jaby, Head of the Agricultural Sector Development Division at the Souss-Massa Regional Agricultural Development Office, highlighted that the 2023 earthquake particularly impacted agricultural infrastructures, the irrigation network, and both agricultural and livestock production chains.
He noted that the implementation of the emergency program has contributed to the revitalization and development of the affected agricultural activity, especially through the revival of livestock farming, free distribution of barley to livestock farmers affected by the disaster, and the rehabilitation of hydro-agricultural infrastructures.
The emergency plan also focused on improving access to farms and plots of land by re
habilitating and constructing agricultural roads, as well as upgrading the processing units for local products, he explained.
For his part, Mohamed Al Mansouri, a farmer from the Sidi Ouaaziz commune (province of Taroudant), expressed his great satisfaction with the emergency measures taken by the Ministry of Agriculture to mitigate the effects of this natural disaster on the agricultural sector.
In this regard, he expressed his deep gratitude to HM King Mohammed VI for the Sovereign’s High Solicitude towards the families affected by the earthquake, since the first hours following this natural disaster.
A similar sentiment was echoed by Abdelmalek Bazi, an association leader and farmer from the Talgjount commune, who praised the continuous improvement of agricultural activity in the province of Taroudant, thanks to the numerous projects carried out under the emergency program, the efforts of the concerned parties, and the support provided to farmers.
Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse