Morocco/In the province of Chichaoua, agricultural activity is back on track

Adassil (province of Chichaoua) - In the province of Chichaoua, agricultural activity is beginning to return to normal, with signs of recovery gradually taking shape across several communes, such as Adassil, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake of September 8, 2023.

Nestled in the mountains of the High Atlas, 112 km from Marrakech, Adassil is beginning to regain its former dynamism thanks to agriculture, the mainstay of the region's economic activity.

Courage, hope and resilience are the watchwords today for the inhabitants of the douars in this mountainous locality who, faced with the scale of the losses caused by the natural disaster, have rolled up their sleeves to revitalize their land and get their lives back to normal.

Lhossein Agour, a local stockbreeder, expresses his deep gratitude for the initiatives to support farmers, including the free distributions of livestock and fodder, which enabled him to turn his situation around after the considerable losses he suffered.

"The support measures have considerably boosted the hope and resilience of all the region's livestock farmers," he told MAP.

Hamid Bendriss, a farmer in the douar Majdid, also benefited from the distribution of barley and seeds adapted to the new post-earthquake conditions.

"Thanks to this support, we'll be able to restore our crops and improve our yields with a view to contributing to our region's food security", he said, his tone enthusiastic and full of hope.

In the neighboring douar of Tikekht, efforts to repair, refurbish and impound a 2,000 ml-long seguia are already beginning to bear fruit, much to the delight of the inhabitants, who make no secret of their relief.

"We now have regular access to irrigation water. This means we can save our crops and resume our farming activities with greater peace of mind", rejoiced Abdelkabir Balhih, one of the douar's residents.

In addition to these efforts in Adassil, similar initiatives have multiplied in other communes of the Chichaoua province, to rebuild the infrastructure essential to the resumption of farming activities.

Hamid Aresmouk, director of the "Abaynou Olive Chichaoua" economic interest group, expressed his deep gratitude for the support received for the rehabilitation of the organization's headquarters, located in the rural commune of Sidi Bouzid.

"The renovation of facilities and equipment has made it possible to relaunch olive processing and marketing activities, which are essential to the local economy", he said.He expressed his hope for a complete and lasting resumption of the olive-growing activity, a real lever for the province's economic prosperity.

Meanwhile, Tarik Touimi, provincial delegate for Agriculture, stressed the importance of ongoing efforts to support agricultural recovery in the province.

In a statement to MAP, he said that infrastructure rehabilitation, combined with support programs for farmers and livestock breeders, was a priority to ensure an effective and sustainable recovery.

For Mr Touimi, these initiatives aim not only to restore production capacity, but also to strengthen the resilience of farming communities in the face of future challenges.

Source: www.mapexpress.ma/