Olive Irrigation Management Project – Setting the Scene

Olive Irrigation Management Project –

Setting the Scene

V. Nangia, M. Karrou and T. Oweis

Acknowledgements

• The study was presented by the International Olives Council (IOC) to the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) for funding and was drawn up at the IOC Executive Secretariat in cooperation with the Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (IAS-CSIC), Spain, and the Instituto per i Sistemi Agricoli e Forestali del Mediterraneo (CNR-ISAFoM), Italy. CFC is an intergovernmental financial institution established within the framework of the United Nations, headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Study sites

More than 900,000 ha 9% of cultivated land 5% of agricultural GDP 16% of Morocco’s consumption requirements in edible vegetable oils 15% food exports 400,000 farms 100,000 jobs

Source: MAPM, 2011

olive : 65,46%

grape: 7,19%

date palm: 3,11%

rosacees: 3,42%

dry nuts: 5,26%

citrus 11,57%

grenade 0,41%

citrus 3,58%

Morocco

Olive plantation area

The olive plantation is spread over the northern half of the national territory, except the Atlantic coast

128.5

266 310

365

560

920

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1960/61 1970/71 1980/81 1990/91 2001/02 2010/11

Oliv

e g

row

ing

are

a (t

ho

usa

nd

ha)

Cropping season

- Olive growing area has increased in Morocco

- From 1960 to 2010, Olive planting area increased 7x

Source: MAPM, 2011

Moroccan Strategy For Olive Sector Development

(Plan Maroc Vert)

2009 2020

Total Area 680,000 ha 1,220,000 ha

Drip irrigation Area 17,000 ha 150,000 ha

Production (ton)

Total 700,000 2,500,000

Olive oil 60,000 273,000

Table olives 120,000 250,000

Exports

Olive oil 16,000 120,000

Table olive 60,000 150,000

Source: Contrat programme olivier

Syria

Distribution of cultivated varieties on agro-climatic conditions

Study general objectives

• To enhance crop yields of smallholder olive farmers in two Mediterranean countries - Morocco and Syria through the optimization of water management practices applied to olive cultivation

• Improved and more stable olive yields are going to lead to improved earnings and livelihoods for the targeted smallholder farmers

Specific objectives

• To increase yield of olive groves in the target areas by using advanced strategies

• To minimize yearly fluctuations in yield, and securing more stable farm income

• To increase water productivity of irrigated olive

Outputs O

utp

ut

1 Demonstration of

the potential of advanced irrigation for increasing olive yield above current levels in rainfed olive groves and in conventionally irrigated groves.

Ou

tpu

t 2

Demonstration of the potential of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) for increasing production under irrigation with a limited water supply

Ou

tpu

t 3

Demonstration of a) the advantages of irrigation on the quality of olive fruits;

b) the lack of detrimental effects on the quality of olive oil

Ou

tpu

t 4

Dissemination & training based on the new information on olive irrigation management obtained in the regions where pilot plots are established

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