Morocco’s agricultural heartland has been hit hard by climate change.  Successive droughts, interspersed with unexpected violent storms, have accelerated the adoption of new approaches for farming and water resource management.   The World Bank is supporting Morocco across a range of programs to address the challenges. Three other projects and programs, the “Strengthening Agri-Food Value Chains” ...

Farai Shawn Matiashe As Zimbabwe faces its worst drought in 40 years, Farai Shawn Matiashe speaks to farmers about the barriers to climate resilience. Margaret Mutasa, a smallholder farmer, stares at her children picking yellow-green guavas from the fields in Watsomba, a rural area in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland Province. These fruits are what Mutasa’s family eat for breakfast ...

U.N. Launches Urgent $430m Appeal as Zimbabwe Grapples with Severe Drought Crisis Harare, Zimbabwe — The United Nations humanitarian agency has issued a stark warning as Zimbabwe reels under the grip of its worst drought in four decades, with approximately half of the country’s population facing urgent food and water shortages. Launching an appeal for ...

The International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) has sought to develop drought-resistant breeds of cereals to combat years of dryness in Morocco. In the heart of sun-soaked Morocco, scientists are cultivating a future where tough crops defy a relentless drought, now in its sixth year. “Look at these beautiful ears of wheat,” ...

A researcher from the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas walks in a cultivated field in the Marchouch region of northwestern Morocco on April 18, 2024. (AFP) In the face of “extremely high” water stress, Morocco’s cultivated areas are expected to shrink to 2.5 million hectares drastically The kingdom’s agricultural research agency aims ...

Drought-hit Morocco has been hosting an international agriculture fair in the city of Meknes this week (SIAM), focusing on climate resilience and sustainability. Some 70 countries and 1,500 exhibitions took part in the 16th edition of the expo, with some 800,000 expected visitors. More than 10 large tents displayed various agricultural products and services, including ...

Zimbabwe should be aware of four things so that it can effectively deal with the current drought, Lands and Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuku told Parliament on Wednesday. Firstly, the small amounts that we have in our granary. Secondly, the few produce that we are going to harvest. Thirdly, we look at where we can import ...

In the last week, Zimbabwe, following both Malawi and Zimbabwe, has declared a drought emergency, requesting US$2 billion in support for purchasing food supplies in the face of large predicted deficits. The total cereal harvest is expected to be around one million tonnes, about half amount of the previous year, leaving a big gap to ...

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development is assessing the severity of the El Nino induced drought and its impact on crop yields and the financial status of farmers. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Department says the recent Crop Estimates Committee shows that South Africa’s 2023/24 summer grains and oilseed production ...

Zimbabwe is experiencing a historic drought that has compromised most of the crops of the 2024 farming season. That has threatened millions with hunger, and the World Food Program has said it might not be able to assist families in Zimbabwe facing food insecurity. Zimbabwe has seen much of its crops decimated, declaring the 2024 farming ...