By Abdelilah Ghmiza, YCC tree monitoring officer

The city of Bouaarfa (Figuig Province) in southeast Morocco became an important area when manganese was discovered there during the beginning of French colonization. The indigenous people there, from the Bani Eguil tribe, begin planting Cumin in November and harvesting it in June. This product is known for its quality, intense aroma, and green color, similar to henna, and is adapted to the environment of the region as it needs large amounts of water only in the early periods of cultivation.

In conjunction with the cultivation of Cumin, the same village benefited from a project to plant one million fruit trees distributed by the High Atlas Foundation to more than 100 farmers.

This process aims to sensitize the local population to the importance of tree planting and its impact on the environment and the development of the local economy by creating income-generating activities and combating soil erosion and desertification.

the agriculture sites in the province of Figuig

By monitoring and evaluating 51,000 diverse fruit trees, including pomegranate, almond, fig, and olive, we have seen an increasing demand of trees by farmers. This indicates an awareness by the people of the region about the importance of afforestation and the role it plays in our daily lives, leading them to transition from traditional to modern agriculture.

Despite the region’s strategic location and hot climate, overgrazing by camels and sheep as well as inadequate technical capabilities for planting fruit trees cause significant problems for the people.

However, some of its residents have defied all these difficulties and exploited the available water beds for their benefit by digging wells, installing solar energy, and using drip irrigation to benefit from a good and profitable crop.

In the end, the project with HAF remains working to improve the environment and people’s lives.