The Saïss plain is entering a pivotal phase with the implementation of the Green Morocco Plan, a national strategy designed to modernize Moroccan agriculture through sustainable practices, improved infrastructure, and farmer support. This is part of Morocco’s broader goal to secure food production and preserve natural resources. The plan aims to transform Morocco's approach to water management in agriculture, tackling severe water scarcity while boosting productivity.
The Saïss Plain Project
On Wednesday, July 2, Agriculture Minister Ahmed El Bouari inaugurated a new irrigation network fed by the M’Dez dam, located more than 90 km away. This project, a part of the Green Morocco Plan, aims to protect irrigated areas in the plain of Saiss and will be achieved at a total cost of 3.8 billion dirhams. The new network will irrigate 30,000 hectares across 22 municipalities in the prefectures of Fès and Meknès, as well as the provinces of El Hajeb, Sefrou, and Moulay Yacoub. Nearly 4,500 farms are expected to benefit directly from the new infrastructure.
This project will be implemented on 22,000 hectares benefiting 4,800 farmers. It aims at compensating for the deficit in groundwater and improving land productivity. This project, to be completed by 2019, will be implemented through the setting up of a water intake on the left bank of the M’dez dam which will make it possible to transfer 125 million cubic meters of water to the plain of Saiss.
Funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with support from the European Union and the Green Climate Fund, the initiative has been recognized for its environmental benefits. In addition to ensuring reliable access to water, it is expected to support local economic development by boosting cooperatives, rural enterprises, and agricultural services.
Water Scarcity in Morocco
Water scarcity is an escalating crisis around the globe, and Morocco’s regional neighbors are among the worst affected. The uncomfortable reality is that, Morocco too is running out of water. Its available resources have fallen by 71 percent since 1980, threatening to drop below the U.N.’s threshold for “absolute water scarcity” by 2020. Nearly 90 percent of water withdrawals in Morocco are made by its agriculture industry, which grows citrus fruits, tomatoes, and other produce for export. Accounting for 15 percent of the Moroccan GDP, agriculture is a mainstay of the kingdom’s economy, employing 39 percent of Moroccans and 80 percent of the rural population.
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Morocco has transformed its approach to water management in agriculture, tackling severe water scarcity while boosting productivity.
Location of Morocco
Key Actions and Economic Impact
- Modernized Irrigation Systems: Morocco modernized irrigation systems across 550,000 hectares, focusing on efficient drip irrigation.
- Economic Impact: Agriculture contributes 21% of Morocco’s GDP and employs 39% of its workforce.
Morocco has implemented a range of policies and financial incentives to encourage the adoption of smart irrigation systems across the country. The government has made a significant financial commitment to modernizing irrigation.
Smart Irrigation Strategies
The Green Morocco Plan is a cornerstone of the country’s smart irrigation strategy. It focuses on replacing traditional gravity-fed irrigation systems with more efficient drip systems, which can reduce water usage by 50-60%. This plan promotes agricultural intensification and includes targeted financial support to help land-titled farmers access these advanced technologies.
To encourage the shift to water-efficient irrigation, Morocco has developed a robust subsidy program, with the ADF playing a central role. For example, in November 2012, 27 young farmers from the Intilaka Water Users’ Association in Eastern Morocco began using a new drip-irrigation system with support from USAID/Morocco.
In addition to subsidies, Morocco has embraced public-private partnerships (PPPs) to drive innovation in irrigation infrastructure. One standout example is the Guerdane Irrigation Project, the world’s first public-private partnership for irrigation. This project, a collaboration between the Government of Morocco and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), brought in private investment to develop an irrigation network that channels water from a distant dam complex.
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Another initiative, the RESWAG project, demonstrates the government’s comprehensive approach to irrigation reform. This project focuses on improving water governance in agriculture, enhancing irrigation services, and modernizing on-farm technologies in water-scarce areas. Morocco’s success in leveraging PPPs has earned international recognition.
Morocco has embraced advanced digital irrigation techniques to tackle water scarcity and maintain agricultural productivity. Backed by strong government policies, this transition ensures more efficient water management while supporting the agricultural sector.
Smart Irrigation Systems: Boosting Yields While Saving Water!
Morocco’s move from conventional surface irrigation to precision irrigation systems has reshaped its agricultural practices. Traditional methods, which often led to excessive water use, are being replaced by drip irrigation networks. These systems deliver water directly to plant roots, minimizing waste. In fact, smart irrigation systems have shown water savings of approximately 48-50%.
Morocco is leading the way in using artificial intelligence (AI) for agriculture. AI systems analyze data from weather forecasts, soil moisture sensors, and crop databases to fine-tune irrigation schedules, cutting water usage by up to 50%. One standout example is ARWA Solution, a startup based in Sefrou, which equips farmers with real-time crop data through a sensor network linked to a central system. This approach optimizes resource use and boosts yields.
Researchers at Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University in Fes have developed a smartphone app powered by AI. In Marrakech, researchers Iounousse and Temsamani created a virtual assistant that provides AI-driven guidance for farmers’ daily tasks.
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Regional Successes
Several regions in Morocco highlight the success of smart irrigation technologies. The El Haouz perimeter is a prime example, where the Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership supported studies to measure water use and productivity gains. In Agadir, a pilot project demonstrated how AI-powered irrigation could improve crop health and water efficiency, even in the arid southern regions. Farmers participating in this initiative reported noticeable benefits.
Additionally, the Large-Scale Irrigation Modernization Project has made significant strides. These regional efforts underscore the importance of modern irrigation systems in a country where agriculture accounts for roughly 80% of water use. Despite irrigated crops covering just 20-25% of the harvested area, they contribute nearly 65% of the sector’s economic value.
National Program and Drip Irrigation
Through the National Program of Water Savings in Irrigation, Morocco has modernized irrigation systems across 550,000 hectares, including 220,000 hectares under large-scale initiatives. By the end of 2022, over 9,000 farmers had adopted upgraded irrigation technologies across 20,700 hectares.
Drip irrigation has become a cornerstone of Morocco’s water-saving efforts, now covering over 500,000 hectares - approximately 43% of the country’s irrigated land. Studies show that micro-irrigation systems can reduce water usage by 17-38% compared to traditional flood irrigation methods.
Productivity and Economic Gains
Investments in smart irrigation have significantly boosted agricultural productivity across Morocco. Between 2010 and 2017, a World Bank initiative improved irrigation services for 6,811 farmers - including 622 women - across 22,062 hectares. In Tadla, farms smaller than 5 hectares saw a stunning 166% increase in production, while those between 5 and 10 hectares experienced a 77% rise.
Similarly, in Doukkala, farms under 5 hectares achieved a 142% increase, farms between 5 and 10 hectares gained 67%, and larger farms (over 10 hectares) saw an impressive 312% jump in productivity. Precision farming technologies have the potential to increase agricultural yields by over 20% per hectare. Smart irrigation systems, which match water delivery to specific crop needs, have been shown to improve productivity by 34.9% compared to traditional methods.
Switching from traditional to smart irrigation has led to remarkable improvements in both water efficiency and crop yields. Smart irrigation systems maximize productivity while minimizing water use - an essential advantage in Morocco’s dry climate.
The World Bank has played a key role in supporting Morocco’s National Irrigation Water Saving Program (PNEEI) and the Green Morocco Plan (PMV), which have been central to achieving these results.
Lessons for Other African Nations
Morocco’s journey from struggling with water scarcity in agriculture to becoming a leader in efficient irrigation offers lessons that other African nations can adapt to their unique situations. Morocco’s achievements are rooted in strong institutional support and well-thought-out policies. Collaboration played a major role, particularly through partnerships such as the $182 million RESWAG project with the World Bank. These partnerships provided essential funding and technical expertise. Another critical element was the establishment of observatories to track long-term impacts.
Despite these successes, obstacles remain. One of the biggest hurdles is the high upfront cost of adopting smart irrigation systems, which can be prohibitive for smallholder farmers with limited financial resources. A lack of technical knowledge is another barrier. For instance, the AgriLink project in Safi (2020-2025) introduced LoRaWAN sensors to monitor soil moisture.
Infrastructure gaps also pose challenges. Advanced irrigation systems rely on dependable water supply networks, and traditional methods still dominate over 70% of Morocco’s irrigated land.
African nations can draw valuable lessons from Morocco’s experience and tailor them to their own needs:
- Develop comprehensive policy frameworks: Morocco’s long-term planning cycles created stability, encouraging private investment and farmer engagement.
- Foster public-private partnerships: Collaborations like the RESWAG project show how international expertise and funding can speed up technology adoption while building local capacity.
- Design support systems for diverse farmer needs: Morocco combined large-scale infrastructure projects with customized farm-level assistance, proving the importance of flexible, tailored solutions.
- Invest in monitoring systems early: Morocco demonstrated water savings of 17-38% and yield increases of 51-100% with micro-irrigation systems.
- Address infrastructure bottlenecks: Morocco’s success in covering over 500,000 hectares with drip irrigation (43% of irrigated land) underscores the need for reliable foundational infrastructure.
- Create accessible financing for small farmers: Affordable credit paired with technical support can make advanced irrigation systems attainable for smallholders, as Morocco’s experience illustrates.
While Morocco’s model isn’t a universal solution, it serves as a practical framework. Morocco’s transformation from water scarcity to a leader in smart irrigation highlights how thoughtful policy and strategic actions can lead to impressive outcomes across Africa.
Today, Morocco boasts over 500,000 hectares of land using drip irrigation - about 43% of its irrigated farmland. This method not only conserves 17-38% more water compared to traditional flood irrigation but also increases crop yields by an astounding 51-100%. These successes highlight the potential for scaling these efforts across the continent.
Morocco’s institutional framework, built on dedicated irrigation bodies, strong public-private collaboration, and long-term planning, is a solid foundation for innovation. The RESWAG project underscores the power of international collaboration. By 2027, this initiative aims to enhance irrigation services across 51,485 hectares and benefit over 23,000 farmers. This progress demonstrates that ambitious goals are attainable when supported by adequate funding and technical expertise.
Morocco’s achievements show that other African nations can achieve similar success by creating specialized institutions, fostering global partnerships, and offering targeted financial incentives. This journey is about more than just conserving water. It’s about building systems that can endure the pressures of climate change while driving economic growth.
By focusing on advanced irrigation technologies and effective water demand strategies, the country has significantly boosted water-use efficiency and agricultural output. This approach highlights the critical need to prioritize water management and invest in sustainable practices to tackle agricultural water challenges.
Origin Labeling and the Green Morocco Policy
Abstract Origin labeling is one of the most important strategy in the Green Morocco Policy with which the Moroccan government aims to support the marketing of domestically produced food and then improves the income of smallholder farmers. This study analyses this strategy using a market comparison between two products, a PGI labelled product Clementine of Berkane and a non-labelled product Cherries of Sefrou-Ifrane. A survey with 500 consumers was conducted in 2016. Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process methodology, we study the Moroccan consumer preferences and compare the hierarchy of different attributes and sub-attributes of both products. We evaluate the importance of the origin and the visibility of the new established quality sign of origin in the Moroccan market. Results show the importance of origin and the intrinsic characteristics of the product when Moroccan consumers purchase both products. The hierarchy obtained by the AHP for the Clementine of Berkane shows that the high juicy content , Origin and the PGI are the most important attributes for Moroccan consumers. While for Cherries of Sefrou-Ifrane, Origin and the attribute Juicy-soft fruit are the most important attributes. The visibility of the quality sign of origin still limited in the Moroccan market comparing to other product attributes.
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