In the Chtouka-Aït Baha region, south of Agadir, desalinated water is establishing itself as an essential bulwark against drought. Thanks to it, agricultural operations, particularly the giants of cherry tomatoes like the Azura group, are managing to maintain their activity in the face of an increasingly arid climate. However, this vital resource raises increasingly pressing economic and ecological questions.
Since 2022, the desalination plant in Chtouka has been supplying water to 12,000 hectares of crops and also provides drinking water for 1.6 million people. By 2026, its capacity is expected to reach 400,000 m³ per day, according to the regional agricultural development office.
This resource has helped avoid, according to authorities, an estimated annual loss of over 860 million euros and the disappearance of more than one million jobs in the region. However, it remains out of reach for small farmers due to its high cost: five dirhams per cubic meter, which is five times more than conventional water.
“We wouldn’t be here without this water,” confesses Abir Lemseffer, Deputy CEO of the Azura group, illustrating the tension between profitability and survival. This tension is shared by other farmers like Mohamed Boumarg, who has been able to triple his cultivated areas thanks to access to desalinated water.
But the miracle solution is not without limits. In addition to its high energy cost, it generates brine discharges into the sea, a concern for some environmental specialists, despite official claims assuring the safety of the system.
Usable only for high-value crops, desalinated water helps preserve the agricultural leadership of Souss, a region that accounts for 85% of Morocco’s fresh vegetable exports. But it leaves a crucial question hanging: can we build food sovereignty on such a costly and energy-intensive solution?
With AFP