As part of its commitment to the sustainable development of Moroccan agriculture, Al Moutmir recently unveiled the encouraging results of its program of Demonstration Platforms (PFDs) dedicated to cereals and legumes. These PFDs have been set up in more than 40 provinces of Morocco since the launch of the initiative, totaling more than 23,700 platforms. The program aims to show the impact of best agricultural practices on yield, quality of production and income generated.
The success of the program is based on close collaboration with the agricultural and scientific ecosystem, benefiting from the support of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University of Benguerir, the College of Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, as well as national and international scientific partners. Experts and research and innovation infrastructures are mobilized to support partner farmers in the adoption of these best agricultural practices.
Thus, and since the launch of the Al Moutmir initiative, more than 14,800 cereal and legume demonstration platforms have been created. For the 2022/2023 agricultural campaign, more than 3,640 cereal and legume PFDs have been installed in the cereal provinces of Morocco, benefiting more than 730 partner farmers. The technical route adopted in these platforms is based on the integrated management program “ Integrated Crop Program (ICP), which encompasses the rational management of rainwater and irrigation, tailor-made fertilization, integrated crop protection and the use of appropriate products.
On July 20, 2023, Al Mutmir organized the 12th edition ofAl Mutmir Open Innovation Lab face-to-face at UM6P Benguerir and remotely on Microsoft Teams. This hybrid event brought together more than 150 people, including researchers, scientists, economists, agronomists, farmers, institutional partners, professional organizations and industrial partners. The objective was to share the results of the demonstration platforms of the 2022-2023 campaign, to discuss the cereal and legume sector and to stimulate the debate on the development of this crucial sector for the food security and sovereignty of the kingdom.
The results of the cereal and pulse PFDs for the 2022-2023 campaign were particularly promising. At the national level, the PFDs recorded an average grain yield of 24.1 qx/ha, with a gain of 34% compared to the control plots in the conventional system. For legumes, PFDs recorded a yield improvement of about 22%.
With regard to the direct seeding system, the PFDs conducted in direct seeding recorded an average grain yield of 20.3 qx/ha, with a gain of 31% compared to the control plots in the conventional system. These performances have enabled partner farmers to significantly increase their income.
The digital application Agricultural has also been put in place to maximize the benefits of PFDs and facilitate the sharing of information with players in the sector. This application allows the digitalization of the agronomic management of the demonstration plots and the real-time transmission of detailed information on their evolution. These data are made available to the scientific, academic and economic ecosystem to promote debate and the exchange of knowledge.
The event concluded with the presentation of trophies to professional agricultural organizations and partner farmers of Al Moutmir in recognition of their commitment and outstanding achievements in the adoption of good agricultural practices.
In sum, the Al Moutmir Demonstration Platforms program has demonstrated its potential to improve farmers’ yields and incomes while promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture. With the support of the agricultural and scientific ecosystem, Al Moutmir continues to play a vital role in the prosperous development of agriculture in Morocco and Africa.