This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress
The latest precipitation that fell on the Loukkos basin had a positive impact on sugar crops, said the Lukkos (Ormval) regional agricultural enhancement office.
“Despite the delay in the precipitation recorded at the start of this 2024-2025 agricultural campaign, the salvating rains that fell in the months of February and March, had a positive impact on the cultivation of sugar beet by promoting good soil humidity, which stimulated the growth of beet leaves, during this period, an essential element for photosynthesis.”
The same source explained that healthy and well -developed leaves will allow the plant to better capture sunlight, which will result in better production of sugar in the root.
Likewise for sugar cane, new plantations will be able to benefit from this precipitation to boost their growth, noted the press release, noting, however, that these rains led to the start of the start-up of the sugar cane cutter campaign, which had been scheduled for mid-March, because of difficulty accessing plots.
It should be noted that the Loukkos basin recorded a rainfall cumulative from 454 mm to March 24 against 319 mm compared to the same period of the previous campaign, an increase of 42%. In addition, a large volume (239 mm) was received continuously and well distributed during the month of March.
This precipitation contributed to the improvement of the reservoirs of the dams in the region, used to irrigation of the Plaine du Loukkos, notes the Office, indicating that the Oued El Makhazine dam, the largest in the region, is filled at 100%, while the deductions from the Dar Khrofa dam reached 112 million m3, i.e. a filling rate of around 23.5%.
In addition, this precipitation will also have to help reduce the need for irrigation and, therefore, to reduce costs, in particular for the cultivation of beets and sugar cane, which will save two irrigation cycles and help reduce the pressure on the use of groundwater, the press release continued.
The Office recalled that the area cultivated in sugar beets reached 6.003 ha, or 100% of the program adopted by the Regional Sugar Technical Committee, against only 3,500 ha during the previous campaign, an increase of 72%.
In addition, the area made in Bour is around 3.003 ha, distributed in the territorial municipalities of Boujedian, Tatoft, Ksar Bjir, Souk Tolba, Souaken, and Lalla Mimouna, against 1,900 ha during the previous campaign.
Thus, 80% of the area in Bour (2,400 ha) was sown early during the month of October and early November.
Regarding sugar cane, 730 ha of new plantations were made, to reach an area under cane of 3,115 ha against 2,921 ha compared to the previous campaign, an increase of 7%.
It should be noted that the Loukkos basin is considered among the main production areas of sugar crops in Morocco. This region offers ideal edapho-climatic conditions, with rich soils, and significant precipitation.
Added to this is the existence of infrastructure allowing irrigation on demand and continuous, as well as an industrial processing sector with a significant treatment capacity of the harvest.
