Al Moutmir program lifts Moroccan cereal and legume yields by up to 42%

MOROCCO – Al Moutmir, OCP’s agricultural initiative led by Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), says its demonstration platforms helped Moroccan farmers increase cereal yields by up to 26% and legume yields by as much as 42% during the 2025 to 2026 agricultural season.

The results were presented during the 20th Al Moutmir Open Innovation Lab webinar on July 9 after a season that benefited from good rainfall across much of the country. According to the initiative, better growing conditions, together with improved farming practices, allowed many crops to reach higher production levels.

Launched by OCP in 2018, Al Moutmir works with UM6P’s College of Agriculture, the OCP Foundation, Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture, the National Office of Agricultural Advisory (ONCA), and provincial agricultural authorities. The program supports farmers through soil analysis, field demonstrations, training, digital services, and fertilizer recommendations based on local conditions.

During the latest campaign, Al Moutmir established 1,152 demonstration platforms across 25 provinces, covering eight cereal and legume crops. More than 288 farmers hosted the platforms, while over 9,400 farmers received training through field schools, workshops, and digital support.

The demonstration fields compared farmers’ usual production methods with improved technical practices that focused on soil analysis, crop protection, water management, and crop specific recommendations. Al Moutmir reported yield gains of between 12% and 42%, while farmers increased profit margins by between 19% and 40% compared with nearby fields managed using conventional methods.

“My soft wheat field produced 70.5 quintals per hectare after following Al Moutmir’s recommendations, compared with 60 quintals per hectare on a neighboring plot managed using my usual practices,” said Ahmed Elhiba, a farmer from Beni Mellal.

In Settat province, farmer Othmane Essaker also reported better results after taking part in the program.

“A direct seeding demonstration platform helped me increase my durum wheat yield from 32 to 40 quintals per hectare,” he said, adding that soil analysis, fertilizer recommendations, and technical support contributed to the higher output.

Direct seeding remained another key part of the program. During the season, Al Moutmir supported more than 30,010 hectares across 130 localities in 21 provinces, reaching over 4,300 farmers and more than 70 professional organizations while deploying 68 direct seeding machines. The initiative also established 548 direct seeding demonstration platforms, where yields exceeded conventional tillage by between 2% and 6%.

Heavy rainfall caused flooding in parts of Kenitra, Sidi Kacem, and Larache, damaging several demonstration platforms before harvest. Even so, Al Moutmir said national results stayed strong because of favorable rainfall across most production areas and wider use of improved farming practices.

Around 100 representatives from public institutions, universities, research organizations, industry partners, farmer organizations, and the wider agricultural sector joined the webinar to discuss the results and identify ways to improve the long term sustainability of Morocco’s cereal and legume value chains while helping farmers respond to climate change.

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