Rabat
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Farmers in the Rhamna region, central Morocco, are waiting for the construction of an industrial unit to value quinoa grains to expand the marketing of this modern agriculture in the region.
Last week, the activities of the 15th season of quinoa cultivation were launched in the Buchan region, with the participation of experts, researchers, and productive farmers interested in this cultivation.
The head of the Golden Rehamneh Seeds Cooperative, Abdul Aziz Al-Kayen, says that they have started cultivating quinoa since 2008, as it is compatible with the region's climate and poor soil.
And the cultivation of quinoa grains - which considers Latin America to be its homeland - began in Morocco for the first time in the region of Rahamna and then Youssoufia, and is characterized by its ability to withstand climate changes and provide job opportunities in the rural world.
The Rahamna region is characterized by a semi-arid climate, with high temperatures and little rain, which affects agricultural activity, which is the main activity of the population, in addition to raising livestock.
And after these grains were unknown to farmers in previous years, they are now competing to grow them because of their abundant yields in a short time.
Quinoa is drought tolerant
Morocco has known during the past 70 years 20 dry seasons, and since 2001 the country has been facing the challenge of managing water resources due to low rainfall, continuous rise in temperatures and overexploitation of groundwater. Morocco is classified among the countries threatened by severe water stress by the year 2040.
The agricultural sector is the most water-consuming sector with a demand rate of 87.3%, which prompted the government to announce a number of programs to deal with the water scarcity crisis and encourage farmers to cultivate drought-resistant crops.
Abdel Aziz Al-Kayn told Al-Jazeera Net that they were cultivating grains such as wheat and barley in addition to raising livestock, but in recent years they have gradually moved towards cultivating quinoa grains, as it suits the region's climate and its great yield.
"We plant quinoa in the month of February, and we get an abundant harvest in a period ranging between 90 and 120 days, and we also provide the necessary fodder for the livestock," he added.
The area that Rahamna farmers currently cultivate with quinoa has reached about 350 hectares. Al-Kayne expects that this area will double after the completion of the construction of the industrial unit for the valuation of quinoa, and the cooperative he heads obtains a food safety certificate, to reach between 600 and 1,000 hectares.
This unit - the first of its kind in the region - will help to value these grains using machines instead of relying on the traditional method, and to market this cultivation and convert it into materials with high added value.
Al-Kayne recalls the long way that this cultivation took in the region since the first experiments, and he says, "Many changes took place. At first, the farmers of the region did not know these grains, the method and time of their cultivation, or their valuation, and they were also not among the recognized crops."
"Currently, farmers are competing to grow it, and in 2019 it was officially recognized as part of the grain chain," he added.
The Golden Rehamna Grain Cooperative includes 57 farmers and 22 women. The farmers cultivate their lands with quinoa, and the women value them and make materials from them such as flour and others, under the supervision and support of specialized agricultural experts.
Al-Kayne looks optimistically at the future, saying, "We aspire to raise production, meet the needs of the domestic market, and then export abroad."
The area that Rahamna farmers cultivate with quinoa is currently about 350 hectares (Al-Jazeera)
Drought and salinity
Another experiment that began 3 years ago in the eastern region of the Kingdom is led by agricultural engineer Ilham Abidi, a researcher at the Hassan II Institute of Agriculture and Veterinary Science in Rabat, and responsible at the Regional Office for Agricultural Investment in Moulouya for a program to introduce crops that are resistant to drought and salinity in agricultural systems, especially quinoa.
Elham tells Al Jazeera Net that the need to diversify production in the eastern region and save on water prompted her to carry out research and experiments on several types of quinoa seeds, to see which ones are suitable for the soil and climate in this region.
The farmers of the eastern region live under the effects of drought, in addition to salinization of the soil due to the salinity of groundwater.
This researcher is supervising the implementation of an international project in the region funded by 400,000 euros from the PRIMA program of the European Union, with the aim of spreading quinoa cultivation in the eastern region, and carrying out experiments to understand how it adapts to the climate of eastern Morocco.
Elham explains that small farmers in the region need alternative crops that enable them to obtain a financial income that improves their standard of living.
She pointed out that a number of agricultural cooperatives, especially women's, began cultivating and valuing these grains, and obtained abundant yields, adding, "We got 4.5 tons of grain per hectare in lands irrigated with salty groundwater."
The agricultural engineer stresses the need to face climate change in the Kingdom by adapting to it through alternative crops and flexible and resistant agricultural systems.
transformation of the agricultural system
In its latest annual report, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council stressed the need to establish a transformation of the agricultural system, especially in light of the frequent droughts that threaten agricultural production and the country's food sovereignty.
In order to address climate fluctuations and the fragility of the agricultural system, the Council recommended studying the feasibility of introducing more drought-resistant grain varieties, especially those widespread in Africa such as millet or sorghum, and giving great importance to the cultivation of barley, while making sure to provide all the subsidies and incentives required for the development of crops. these cultivations.
He also recommended giving a central place to research and development in the field of selecting seeds and crops that are more resistant to drought, and in aspects related to the use of fertilizers, especially organic ones, as alternatives, as well as in developing irrigation techniques and agricultural methods that are more suitable for the country's climate.
Economic expert Abdel-Ghani Al-Youmni stresses the necessity of opening up to new crops that have great added value and do not deplete water.
He points out, in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, that the climatic conditions that the country has been witnessing for years necessitate a review of the volume of fruit and vegetable production, especially those that deplete water resources and are destined for export.
Morocco achieves 100% self-sufficiency in vegetables and fruits, in addition to supplying European, African and Gulf markets with these agricultural products.
Exports of agricultural products achieved a record high last year, as the volume of exports of fresh fruits and vegetables amounted to 2.3 million tons, and the volume of exports of red fruits amounted to 132 thousand tons. The year 2022 was also marked by a remarkable growth in citrus exports.
"When we export tomatoes and watermelons, for example, we also export our water wealth with them at a lower price," says Al-Youmni. Therefore, work must be done to achieve a balance between achieving food sovereignty and adapting to climate changes that threaten the country's water security.
Members of the Rahamna Grass Cooperative started cultivating quinoa since 2008, as it is compatible with the region's climate and poor soil (Al-Jazeera)
Encouraging resistant crops
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammad Al-Siddiqi, confirmed during his speech before Parliament about preparations for the current agricultural season 2022-2023, that the agricultural sector seeks to enhance its ability to resist climate changes.
He pointed out that achieving this goal will be achieved by encouraging and supporting crops that are able to resist climate changes, such as carob, olive, argan, cactus and almond trees, as well as developing and using genetically improved plant varieties that are resistant to drought, especially for grains and fodder.
In the past months, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has launched projects to expand the planting of carob trees in a number of regions of Morocco. The "Green Generation 2020-2030" plan, which is supervised by the ministry, seeks to plant an area of approximately 100,000 hectares with carob trees to raise national production.
The area cultivated with cactus reached 170,000 hectares, and the area planted with almond trees amounted to 171,000 hectares, while the area planted with olive trees exceeded one million hectares.