ABSTRACT
Irrigation schemes are implemented to make up for rainfall deficiency and to satisfy the water requirements of crops. Agriculture in the Maghreb is largely rain-fed, and the low and erratic rainfall since the 1970s appears to have made it increasingly fragile. Public investment in agriculture in Tunisia concentrated on irrigation, but still food production has remained low. They adopted structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) in order to create more diversified and resilient economies. The main objectives of Moroccos agricultural reform were to enhance agricultural production and self-sufficiency through the expansion of modern, irrigated agricultural production; and to develop the export potential of agro-industries. Privatisation policies in Morocco and Tunisia have provided a place for private capital in the economy, but free market activities have taken longer to evolve in Algeria. Agricultural policy in the Maghreb countries should be directed towards removing the structural constraints on the diffusion of efficient irrigation practices.
