First Independent Mena Newspaper
Late rainfall is auguring ill for this year’s crop year in Morocco amid a depletion of water dam filling rate to worrying levels. Last year Morocco had an exceptional cereals harvest of 13.5 million tons and exports of agri-food products rose 9.2% to 69 billion dirhams. This year however farmers are ringing the alarm bell […]
The fight for the climate is at the heart of a two-day international virtual summit organized by U.S. President Joe Biden, on the occasion of Earth Day. On the African continent, signs of climate change are multiplying. Joe Biden’s initial announcements indicate a willingness to reduce carbon emissions. To set an example, Biden announced that […]
A decrease in rainfall since 2015 combined with a surge in demand on water triggered a fall in dam filling rate to an average 45% nationwide. Drought has affected in particular this year’s cereals harvest, which was slashed by 49% to 3 million tons, and critically reduced water reserves in some regions. Water reserves fell […]
Morocco’s dam filling rate dropped to an average 47% nationwide as a surge in demand and fewer rainfall put a strain on the country’s water resources, water department said. Morocco has stopped irrigation in regions where water storage reached critical levels such as the key agricultural Souss region. Only the region of Loukous in north […]
Morocco has stopped irrigating farmlands in Souss, one of the main agricultural regions, where dam storage rate dropped to 17%, agriculture minister said. Other regions such as Al Haouz is also dealing with scarce water resources while the region of Loukous in northwestern Morocco has a 100% dam storage rate, Agriculture Minister Aziz Akhannouch told […]
Morocco braces for a meagre crop this year as a result of drought which cut output 42% to 30 million quintals, the agriculture ministry said. Morocco’s reserves of wheat is enough to meet the needs of domestic consumption for 4.5 months said the ministry reassuring the availability of flour, the basic staple, during Ramadan and […]
The Central Bank cut its benchmark interest rate to 2% to boost economic activity, which, like elsewhere in the world, is expected to reel under the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Drought has complicated the outlook for Morocco, which expected a contraction of agricultural output plunging growth to 2.3%, according to the central bank. The […]
Moroccan government has earmarked $5.7 million to help farmers protect their livestock and ease their concern over the delay of rainfall. The funds will be used for the purchase and transportation of fodder to rural zones and remote villages to enable farmers to keep their cattle. These emergency measures were announced lately by minister […]
The government of Namibia has declared a national state of emergency in view of the drought that has hit several areas in the country. A statement released by the Presidency of the Southern African nation said, “the State of Emergency exists on account of the natural disaster of drought in all regions of the Republic […]
Nearly 6 million people are struggling to meet their daily food needs as malnutrition affects more than a million children. The food crisis has alarmed the UN aid Chief Mark Lowcock who called for urgent assistance to “avert the worst”. International aid agencies are also warning of a disaster and calling for urgent aid to […]