"The 2022-23 crop year that has just ended was part of a climatic sequence of 5 difficult years marked by a succession of dry years (4 out of the last 5 years). In fact, the vegetation index profile for this season was well below the long-term average (20 years)", the Ministry said in a statement.

Rainfall, although low and irregular with a national total of 249 mm to August 31, 2023, was 21% up on the previous season (205 mm), but 32% down on a normal season (365.6 mm).

With this level of rainfall, the reserve of dams for agricultural use on August 31, 2023 reached 3.6 billion m3, compared with 3.2 billion m3 on the same date last year, i.e. a filling rate of 26% compared with 23%.

The 2022/2023 agricultural season was marked by significant variability in minimum and maximum temperatures, leading to thermal shocks that disrupted crop production cycles, particularly those for tomatoes in February and cereals in March and April.