Palm Oil Planting Technique in Morocco

Palm Fruit Oil Plant in Morocco

Where is date palm grown in Morocco?
In Morocco, date palm is grown in three large oasis areas located in the southern slopes of the Atlas mountains: Drâa Valley, Tafilalet and Ziz valleys, and the Tata-Bani region, accounting together for nearly 90% of the national palm grove that covers more than 59,000 ha with 453 cultivars (Sedra 2015; Meziani 2019; MAPMDREF 2022 ).
What oilseeds are grown in Morocco?
Several annual oilseed species have been grown in Morocco: sunflower, rapeseed, groundnut, soybean, sesame and safflower. Their cultivation area has continued to decline since the 1990s following several factors, in particular the abolition of guaranteed minimum price and liberalization of the sector.
Why is Morocco launching a large-scale production project of date palms?
As part of the palm grove rehabilitation and extension programs, and given the commercial importance of the Moroccan cultivar Mejhoul at the international market, Morocco has launched during the last decade, a large-scale production project of tissue cultured date palms.
Where did palm oil come from?
Humans used oil palms as far back as 5,000 years. In the late 1800s, archaeologists discovered a substance that they concluded was originally palm oil in a tomb at Abydos dating back to 3,000 BCE. Palm oil from Elaeis guineensis has long been recognized in West and Central African countries, used widely as a cooking oil.