Casablanca – Morocco is moving ahead with the modernization of one of its largest agricultural irrigation networks through a project valued at about $8 million for the technology component, targeting the Beni Moussa irrigation perimeter in the Tadla region in central Morocco. The initiative will introduce automated canal controls, real-time monitoring and digital water-management systems across a network serving approximately 69,600 hectares.

The project comes as Morocco faces increasing pressure on its water resources and seeks to improve the efficiency of irrigation rather than relying solely on expanding water supplies. The selected technology is being provided by Australian irrigation specialist Rubicon Water as part of a consortium with Moroccan and Spanish partners.

The Regional Office for Agricultural Development of Tadla selected the consortium’s proposal following administrative, technical and financial assessments under Morocco’s public procurement procedures. The total value of the tender is estimated at around $31 million, while Rubicon Water’s technology and equipment component is valued at approximately $8 million. The two figures cover different elements of the project and should not be treated as the same contract value.

The contract remains subject to a 15-day legal appeals period before the final agreement can be signed. Implementation is expected to begin once the procurement process is completed.

The project will focus on the main canals serving the Beni Moussa irrigation perimeter. These canals form a major part of the water-distribution system serving agricultural holdings across an area of nearly 70,000 hectares. The infrastructure has historically relied significantly on gravity-fed distribution, while parts of the network date back to the 1950s.

The modernization will introduce a more automated approach to managing water flows. Planned equipment includes automated canal gates, communications infrastructure and systems capable of monitoring water levels and flows in real time. The project will also incorporate Rubicon Water’s Total Channel Control technology and its NeuroFlo digital platform.

These systems are designed to allow irrigation operators to monitor conditions across the network and adjust water distribution according to demand. Rather than depending primarily on manual regulation, operators will have access to real-time information that can support decisions on how much water should be released and where it should be directed.

The shift is particularly relevant as the agricultural perimeter undergoes changes in irrigation practices. Around 27,000 hectares in the area have been or are being converted from traditional irrigation methods to pressurized drip irrigation. Localized irrigation can reduce water consumption at farm level, but its effectiveness also depends on a reliable and accurately managed supply from the main distribution network.

The new canal-control system is therefore intended to complement the investments already made in modern irrigation. More precise regulation at the network level can help ensure that farms receive water according to their requirements and at appropriate times, while reducing unnecessary flows and distribution losses.

The Tadla project forms part of a wider national effort to improve agricultural water efficiency. Morocco has experienced several years of water stress, with drought conditions placing pressure on reservoirs, groundwater resources and irrigation systems. Agriculture has been particularly affected because of its substantial dependence on water.

The country has responded through several parallel measures. These include expanding localized irrigation, developing desalination plants, increasing the reuse of treated wastewater and rehabilitating existing water infrastructure. Modernizing large irrigation networks is another component of this strategy because improving the efficiency of existing systems can increase the amount of usable water available to farmers without requiring a proportional increase in withdrawals.

The broader irrigation conversion program in Tadla illustrates the scale of this effort. Around 72,200 hectares have been included in programs to transition toward localized irrigation, with approximately 49,000 hectares already completed and about 23,200 hectares remaining in planned programs. The objective is to significantly improve irrigation efficiency, with performance targeted at levels approaching 90%, compared with roughly 50% under older systems.

Modernizing the main canals can support this transition by making water delivery more responsive to the needs of farms equipped with localized irrigation. The relationship between the two levels of infrastructure is important: more efficient irrigation equipment at farm level can achieve its full potential only when the upstream network can provide water reliably and with sufficient control.

The Beni Moussa perimeter also benefits from access to major water infrastructure in the Tadla basin. Parts of the agricultural area depend on water supplied through systems connected to the Bin El Ouidane reservoir, an important source for irrigation in the region. Managing these supplies efficiently has become increasingly important as Morocco seeks to balance agricultural demand with tighter water availability.

Digitalization is expected to change how such networks are operated. Sensors and monitoring systems can provide information about water levels and flows, while automated gates can respond to operational requirements. Digital platforms can then bring this information together and provide network managers with a more detailed picture of conditions across the irrigation system.

The potential benefits extend beyond reducing water losses. More predictable distribution can help farmers plan irrigation operations, while improved monitoring can make it easier to identify abnormal flows or problems within the network. Better control can also help operators respond to changes in demand without relying entirely on physical intervention at individual canal structures.

For Rubicon Water, the project represents a significant expansion of its presence in Morocco. The company has described the Tadla contract as its largest agreement to date in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region and its second-largest individual project outside Australia, assuming the contract is finalized and implemented.

The project could also serve as a reference for future irrigation modernization initiatives in Morocco and other North African countries facing similar water constraints. Large gravity-fed irrigation systems remain important across the region, while governments are increasingly looking for technologies that can improve their efficiency without requiring complete replacement of existing infrastructure.

For Morocco, the immediate objective is more closely linked to water management than to expanding irrigated land. The Beni Moussa project is designed to improve the performance of an established agricultural network by bringing greater control and automation to the channels that already serve thousands of hectares.

This approach reflects a broader change in agricultural water policy. As climate conditions and water availability become more difficult to predict, the focus is increasingly shifting toward using each unit of available water more efficiently. Investments in irrigation modernization can therefore complement efforts to increase water supplies through desalination and other non-conventional sources.

The Tadla project also illustrates the growing connection between agriculture and digital technology. Irrigation infrastructure that was originally designed decades ago is now being combined with automated controls, communications systems and software capable of analyzing water flows in real time. The objective is to make a large physical network operate with greater precision and flexibility.

Once completed, the modernization of the Beni Moussa network could provide a practical test of large-scale digital irrigation management in Morocco. Its coverage of approximately 69,600 hectares means that even incremental improvements in distribution efficiency could have a significant effect on the use of agricultural water.

The project remains dependent on the completion of the procurement process and the formal signing of the contract. If those steps are completed, the investment will place Tadla among Morocco’s major ongoing efforts to modernize agricultural water infrastructure and adapt irrigation management to a period of tighter resource availability.

With agriculture facing growing pressure to maintain production while using less water, the modernization of existing networks is likely to remain an important part of Morocco’s water strategy. The Beni Moussa project combines that objective with the introduction of automated technology, creating a system designed to monitor, regulate and distribute irrigation water more precisely across one of the country’s major agricultural areas.