Le mode de gestion du service de l’eau d’irrigation: un déterminant de l’efficacité technique des exploitations agrumicoles du périmètre du Souss-Massa au Maroc

Abstract

The Mode of Management of Irrigation Water Service: A Technical Efficiency Determinant of Citrus Farms in the Souss-Massa Perimeter. The area of Souss-Massa, known for its citrus culture with high added value, is confronted with the problem of water resources mobilization. Since the beginning of the year 2000, the groundwater of the perimeter of Souss-Massa has reached the limit of its renewable potential, what prompted the Moroccan government to implement a project to safeguard the perimeter of El Guerdane in this region. This safeguard project was carried out as part of Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The perimeter of Issen, located in the same region, which farmers suffer from the same problem of water resources mobilization, is still managed by the Office Régional de Mise en Valeur Agricole du Souss-Massa. The aim of this article is to study the impact of the management mode of irrigation water service on the technical efficiency of citrus farms in the two perimeters. The estimation of the production frontier and scores of technical efficiency have been achieved based on the data collected from a sample of 121 farms located in the two perimeters. The variability of these technical efficiency scores is determined by several factors. The level of technical performance of farms in the Souss-Massa perimeter is confirmed by an average technical efficiency score of 68%.The results also concluded that PPP management and membership in agricultural cooperatives have a significant impact on the technical efficiency of farms, while area, education’ level and access to international market have no significant impact on the technical efficiency of the farms.

Keywords

• technical efficiency
• public-private partnership
• mode of management
• irrigation water
• Morocco