Olive Growing in Morocco essays

Olive Growing in Morocco essays Morocco is currently the world's sixth olive oil producer, with 550,000 hectares planted to olive trees, Moroccan agriculture minister Habib El Malki said (Morocco, Agriculture 1999). From these trees, Morocco produced 480,000 tons of olives, making the country the second largest exporter of olives. The minister also said that more oil-producing fruits would be planted in an additional 500,000 hectares in the next decade to increase their current production, which was only a third of the Morocco's potential, he added (Morocco, Agriculture). When this happens, the country could turn out more than 80,000 tons or a 78% increase (Karam 2003), given abundant rain currently present. Morocco used to be one of the largest olives groves in the Mediterranean Basin until massive deforestation and drought brought production levels down in the last decades. (An official was quoted as saying that Morocco's annual oil needs were estimated at 350,000 tons (Karam), for which olive oil had to be imported but the country's exports of plain olives would go up. At present, he said, that Morocco exports 65,000 tons of tinned olives each year. Olive oil is currently in demand in European households and the government of Morocco would like to take the opportunity to fill part of that demand by launching a program to plant 25,000 olive trees yearly (Karam). But, at present, only 40% of the program goal - or 48,000 tons - has been achieved, and that was why the Moroccan government urged professionals to improve the quality of 80% of this yearly production level (Morocco, Agriculture). The ministry of agriculture would provide annual subsidy of between 3,500 to 5,000 dh, equivalent to between $357 and $510. Edible oil productivity remained low and not more than .05 metric tons in non- irrigated areas a...