The investment budget for the Departments of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests is forecast at 18.17 billion dirhams under the 2024 draft finance law (PLF), up 3% on 2023, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohamed Sadiki, said on Wednesday in Rabat.
The Department of Agriculture’s investment budget is set to rise by 11% to 13.67 billion dirhams, while that of Water and Forests will be 1.5 billion dirhams, up 15% on 2023, said Sadiki, who was presenting the Ministry’s draft 2024 sectoral budget to the House of Representatives’ Productive Sectors Committee.
As for maritime fishing, its investment budget should reach 366 million dirhams in 2024, up 26% on the current year, the Minister added, pointing to the 29% decline in the budget allocated to rural development, following the expiry of the program to reduce territorial and social disparities in rural areas, next December.
In detail, Sadiki reported that investments by the Department of Agriculture will focus on irrigation and agricultural land development (6.41 billion dirhams), the development of agricultural production sectors (5.9 billion dirhams), health safety (760 million dirhams), education, training and research (461 million dirhams), as well as cross-functional support and multi-purpose services (127 million dirhams).
With regard to rural development, the budget earmarked for completing the program to reduce territorial and social disparities in rural areas would reach 1.9 billion dirhams, while 734 million dirhams would be devoted to opening up and inclusive development of rural and mountain areas.
