Production Cost and the Profitability of Olive Trees Under Two Treatments of Drip Irrigation in Marrakesh, Morocco.

1. Ahmed AIT HMIDA , Lhassane SIKAOUI , Mohammed KARROU , Vinay
NANGIA and Theib OWEIS
Production cost and profitability of olive
tree under two treatments of drip
irrigation in the Haouz of Marrakesh in
Morocco.
OLIVEBIOTEQ 2014
Amman, Jordan, 3-6 November, 2014

2. 1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Results
Conclusion & recommendations

3. In Morocco, olive area exceeds 950,000 hectares.
Annual production of olives : around 1.5 million tons.
Olive irrigated areas : 44% of the olive trees area.
Only 30,000 Ha conducted in drip irrigation.
Olive tree grow without irrigation under 400 to 600 mm of
water/year.
But, higher yields require 600 to 800 mm of water.

4. There is a great loss of irrigation water
Efficiency of irrigation must take in consideration economic and
environmental criteria:
• optimization of productivity and profitability for farmer ;
• Improving the competitivity of crops ;
• Preservation of sustainability and productive assets for
community.

5. What effect of deficit irrigation on the productivity
and the profitability of olive orchard ?
Exploring the potential of deficit irrigation as a
mean to reduce the production cost and therefore
increase profits for farmers.

6. 1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Results
Conclusion & recommendations

7. Marrakesh
°
Atlantique Ocean Morocco
Experimental
orchard
Experiment conducted in
the experimental farm
at Tessaout (50 Km
from Marrakesh)

8. • Inputs of irrigation water have considered the rainfall recorded
in the region (154 mm in 2012 and 187 mm in 2013)
• Treatments of irrigation : 70 % ETc and 100 % ETc
ETc = ETo x Kc x Kr/Ne
• ETo : reference evapotranspiration (Penman Monteith) ;
• Kc : crop coefficient for olive tree ;
• Kr : corrector coefficient ;
• Ne : efficiency of irrigation network.

9. • Area of plots of experimentation : 0.5 Ha for deficit
irrigation and 0.5 Ha for full irrigation
• Density of the orchard : 156 trees/Ha (8 m x 8 m) in
intensive system
• Orchard age : 35 years
• Data relate to 2012 and 2013

10. 1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Results
Conclusion & recommendations

11. Table 1. Irrigation cost
Designation
Amount of
water (m3/Ha)
Irrigation cost
(MAD*/Ha)
Irrigation
cost
(MAD/Kg
olives)2012 2013 2012 2013
DI 4,920 3,890 2,927 2,315 0.38
FI 6,490 5,560 3,764 3,225 0.53
* : 1 MAD = 0.12 $

12. Table 2 : Production cost of olives (MAD/Ha)
Designation DI FI
Tillages 850 850
Fertilization 3,000 3,000
phyto. Treat. 1,050 1,050
Pruning 2,810 2,810
Irrigation 2,620 3,490
Harvesting 6,060 5,880
Direct cost 16,390 17,080
Indirect cost 1,640 1,700
Total of cost 18,030 18,780

13. Table 3 : Composition of production cost
(% of the direct cost)
Designation DI FI
Tillages 5.2 5
Fertilization 18.3 17.6
phyto. Treat. 6.4 6.1
Pruning 17.1 16.5
Irrigation 16 20.4
Harvesting 37 34.4

14. Yield and production cost
Deficit irrigation
- Yield 2012 : 7.76
- Yield 2013 : 8.85
- Average : 8.3
Production cost : 2.17
Full irrigation
- Yield 2012 : 7.57
- Yield 2013 : 8.55
- Average : 8.06
Production cost : 2.33
- Yield (T/Ha)
- Production cost (MAD/Kg of olives)
Production cost has decreased by 6.87 %

15. Table 4 : Gross margin of olive oil production (per Ha).
Treatment
Olive oil
(L)
Amount
(MAD)
Production
cost
(MAD)
Gross margin
(MAD/Ha)
DI 1,660 58,100 23,013 35,087
FI 1,612 56,420 23,616 32,804
Gross margin improved with 2.52 % in the case of deficit irrigation.

16. 1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Results
Conclusion & recommendations

17. Deficit irrigation at 70% ETc gave the following
results :
• Decrease in the production cost of olives ;
• Small increase in gross margin of production of
olive oil ;
• Economics of irrigation water

18. Gains :
• Competitivity of the olive sector
• Sustainability of irrigation water resource
Deficit irrigation offers real opportunities for olive
trees in intensive system in semi-arid regions

19. Other experiments on other doses of irrigation
water and other systems of olive trees will
contribute to optimize the profitability of
irrigation water.

20. Thank you for your attention