Morocco’s 2025-26 agricultural season faces mounting difficulties due to sustained drought and diminishing water resources. Despite temporary rainfall improvements earlier in 2025, the sector continues to experience below-average harvests, increased reliance on imports, and ongoing pressure on rural communities. Although government efforts have accelerated major water infrastructure projects and prioritized desalination, long-term challenges related to water scarcity, climate variability, and economic vulnerability remain largely unresolved.
Recent precipitation allowed for a modest recovery in cereal yields, yet overall dam levels and soil moisture remain well below historical averages in most regions. The government has responded with investment in new dams, aquifers, and desalination plants, but the anticipated cereal harvest for 2025 is still projected at about 27% under the national average. As a result, cereal import needs are forecast to rise in the upcoming marketing year, and subsidies have been extended to stabilize prices and ensure basic food supplies. Rainfall variability continues to shape planning and yields, while dry conditions disrupt not only crop production but also livestock and rural livelihoods.
Structural issues—including a growing urban-rural water gap and increased stress on key growing regions such as Doukkala, Souss, and Al Haouz—are exacerbated by record-high temperatures. Rural populations remain acutely vulnerable, as much of their food security and income depend on the unpredictable timing and distribution of seasonal rains. In cities, water disruptions are less directly felt, but rural communities remain closely tied to shifts in weather forecasts and emergency efforts to maintain basic water supplies.
While the government is expanding its response with mobile desalination units, new transport systems, and expanded reserves, the situation highlights Morocco’s exposure to global climate trends and its dependence on both improved technology and international food markets. Efforts to expand water storage, improve irrigation methods, and introduce drought-resistant crops are underway, but results will take time to appear. In the interim, Morocco’s agriculture and food supply will continue to be closely linked to fluctuating weather and global market dynamics.
