Morocco’s economic growth to be affected by drought and coronavirus

Morocco’s economic growth is expected to fall to 2% in 2020 because of drought and the spread of the novel coronavirus, Reuters wrote Tuesday.

After it was forecasted that the country’s economic growth will stand at 3.5%, it was noticed that the agricultural and tourism sectors will be affected by the lack of rainfall and the outbreak, Morocco’s planning agency told the British press agency.

«Growth this year will witness the steepest drop in 20 years», Ahmed Lahlimi told Reuters by phone.

Lahlimi stressed that the sector is already suffering from drought, with farmers «depleting their savings and sinking in debt». «The climate has been so harsh to us this year», he added.

Coronavirus has also a say on the weak forecasts. With the spread of the virus, Morocco is expected to register fewer tourist arrivals and remittances from Moroccans living abroad, Reuters added.

«This is a tough year for the Moroccan economy», referring to the virus that killed a Moroccan woman, Tuesday, and led to a travel ban on Italy.