Untitled - National Agricultural Information System - Institut National ...

2T'o achieve those mojor go&ls, a great deal of m,3asureswere implemented since independenoe. A large portion cf totalinvestment in agriculture w&s allocaûed io irrigated land : ctrrrentlytotal land under permenant irrigation is about 815.000 ha. Considerableefforts were devoted to improve production in rainfedareas ( 7.4 mrillion ha ) lhrough integrated projcts which includea package of activities covering proCuction equipments, social facilitiesand farmers association.Activities also covered improvement of essential noeds ofvillages in rural &r'ea"such as wafer for various use. elevtrileitvand road construction.Activities aiso includ,epreservation of the natural environ-erosion on 300.00O ha andment by land rn:anagementagainstby forest,ra[ion of t7.O00 ha annually.For improving the size and the productivity of farms,a land reform, strategy was implemented on 446.000 ha and landconsolidation m,easures covered 614.00O ha.Training and technical know-how is a special con:ern toauthorities. Currently, the number of agricultural engineer., isabout 2000 while technicians reached Z*rt[. Al] this was a:hievedafter independence.The use of more inputs to im,prove agricultural productivityis encouraged through different means : giving loans to iarnrersat low interest rates ; subsidizing ceriain farrn machinery, fertilizers,high quality seed and farm cliemicals.Specific activities w,ere und,erfaken to encourage and prornotelivestock production and animal products - e.g. meat, milk,eggs, e,tc.All these measures were stimulated and complemer.tedbya pricce policy and rest,ruc,"uring the trade cycle in favor of theproducer and consumer.This bri'ef background on agricultural production and policiesindicates the tremendous lnsk which researchers have t'o adrlresslhemselves to. The numerous diversii,y in crops and other agriculturalcommodities as well as 'rhe 'wide rang,e of climatic conditions,require an am;Lrilious number of research programs to satisfythe need of the asriculbural seotor in lVlorocco.