The Marocco-story (2)
The plough is made of wood, because an iron plough often breaks on the numerous stones in the soil. The largest stones on the surface have been removed, by the women of course. But what remains unseen on the surface, doesn't count and is not removed. Using a tractor for ploughing on these fields is not a real possibility. Seeds are strewn around loosely, and after that a horse with a harrow. Early sowing happens, as well as late sowing. It's a matter of having the nerves to take a risk, with a possible double harvest as a reward. The latter technique by the way is quite rarely used in the Rif. |
I've heard many tales from growers in the Atlas Mountains about two harvests. When the rainy season comes as it is supposed to come - as is usually the case - the farmer doesn't need to worry. From this point on only his eyes, ears and mouth are involved! The rest is up to Allah, his wife and daughters. The funny thing is, one side of the mountain can yield a marvellous harvest, while the other side - only two kilometers away as the crow flies - doesn't yield anything worthwhile that year. (see picture) This happens because on that side of the mountain simply not a drop of rain falls. |
| The slope of not to steep a mountain, in the right year with the right amount of rainy days and hours of sunlight, is ideal for reaping a record harvest. Of course there are 'some' other factors that deserve serious attention. Nutrition for example! You would be amazed to see how much chemical fertilizer is thrown over these fields. Large amounts of NPK are given, but unfortunately, the rest is forgotten, overcropping happens on an alarming scale. |
| Some smaller farmers exploit a plot of land that is small enough to be fertilized by the dung of their cattle. In these cases the fields are flat and usually close to their farms. The best kif is still produced on this type of field, but there are too little of them to be of substantial meaning for the total production. It has to be said these farmers use this method not because of ecological ideals, but only because for them it's the cheapest way to operate. After a good year they usually invest in chemical fertilizer for the next harvest. At little expense reasonably good irrigation systems could easily be installed in most areas of the Rif. Water and generators are available, add some pumps and some tubes, and go! But, no. To set up something like this money has to be spent, and that is the last thing a Rif farmer will invest. When the seed is sown, the rest is up to Allah, and that's it! I have to say Allah has done a pretty good job the last couple of years. I've never seen a people that so readily weeps and complains while seated on top of a mountain of money because they are supposedly so poor. On the other hand, there may be some cultural component in this behaviour I haven't been able to fully understand. The will to remain independent and the saving of funds for possible bad times to insure this, definitely are part of the equation. |
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Just imagine the smell! |
| When the worst part of the rainy season is over, there is still some rain falling, but not so much that it causes powerful streams of drain water, and the plants develop quickly. The light green color of Moroccan seedlings is simply amazing! A sativa, and actually a proper variety, but a fast flowering variety at that. Grown for so long in this culture, the plants you find in the fields of the Rif are a long shot from the original Indica species. The same thing can be observed with 'our' plants in western grow culture, but the big difference is that we actively grow and select, while in Morocco nobody gives a damn about that and leaves selection to mother nature. |
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