Current Status and Overview of Farm Mechanization in Morocco

Abstract

Since its independence, Morocco has placed the agricultural sector at the centre of its development choices in view of the important economic, social and territorial issues raised by this sector (DEPF, 2019). This is evidenced by its weight in the GDP (around 12%) and its status as a provider of jobs for a significant segment of the population (nearly 38% of the employed labour force). Agriculture is the first wealth-creating sector and the country's largest employer; it is also the main user and the most directly responsible for the management of renewable natural resources (HCP, 2020). As a factor of production, agricultural mechanization is of paramount importance leading to improved production techniques and increased productivity of all sectors identified in the Green Morocco Plan (GMP) initiated in 2008 (MAPM -FAO. 2011). The objective of the supervisory ministry is to raise the mechanization index to 1 horse per hectare in accordance with the best international standards. According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, the rate of agricultural mechanization has increased from 5 tractors per 1,000 ha in 2008 to 9 tractors per 1,000 ha in 2018, exceeding the FAO standard of 5 tractors per 1,000 ha.