With farmers in and around the city of Settat in central Morocco beginning their olive harvest in November, officials say the fast-expanding sector is now driving local development through boosting production and creating jobs as a result of increased investment, Morocco’s Press Agency (MAP) reported.
The agriculture director for the province, Younes Aatany, said that local olive farms have grown to as much as 5,800 hectares, up from 400 a decade ago, thanks to state support for seedlings and drip-irrigation systems.
Favorable weather this year is expected to push up output to 20,000 tons, compared to only 5,000 tons last season. About 90% of the olive harvest goes to olive oil production, the price of which has just gone down due to expected bumper production this season.
Farmers credit the region’s high summer temperatures and phosphate-rich soils for producing high-quality oil that appeals to national processors.
In Oulad Fares Lahla, farmer Larbi Charii is expanding his farm with a solar-powered processing unit and efficient irrigation, creating up to 200 seasonal jobs during harvest season, MAP reported.
Demand now exceeds local capacity. With only about 70 traditional mills operating, Aatany says the province needs modern extraction facilities to keep pace with rising production and to sustain the agricultural sector’s growth.
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