My friend told a press conference on the sidelines of the 15th session of the International Agricultural Expo in Meknes that there are government initiatives to ensure price stability, adding that “the balance between agricultural and food policy is the problem of the world today, not just Morocco.”
He pointed out that the government seeks to ensure the availability of basic products such as potatoes, tomatoes, onions and cereals, explaining that the main obstacle is the lack of water due to drought.
He said: “The main obstacle is water given the drought that Morocco experienced last year and which extends into the current year.”
He went on to say, “We take advantage of every drop of water we have to produce what is currently available.”
Experts say Morocco is suffering from a severe water shortage in light of the worst drought the country has faced in four decades.
In recent weeks, vegetable and fruit prices have reached record highs, which has contributed to an unprecedented increase in inflation rates and prompted the government to reduce exports of certain products to reduce their prices on the local market.
The minister added, “Crops for export, such as watermelon, strawberries and avocados, which are accused of consuming large amounts of water, are not supported by the ministry and have no mechanism. to prevent them”.
He added that Morocco “has always exported these products”, but the problem has arisen this year due to a surge in global demand.
The inflation rate in the first quarter of this year was 9.4%, compared to 4% during the same period in 2022.
While the government claims that inflation is imported due to the rise of raw materials in world markets following the Russian-Ukrainian war, the High Commission for Planning said earlier that inflation is also local because of the high prices of vegetables and fruits.
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