Satellite monitoring from Morocco to the Gulf, with irrigation guidance, tree-crop counts, drought risk and yield forecasts for one of the most water-scarce regions on earth.
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Farming in Middle East and North Africa
Farming in the Middle East and North Africa is shaped by water. In the Maghreb, rain-fed wheat and barley, olives and citrus share the map with irrigated basins. The Nile feeds nearly all of Egypt's crops. In the Levant and Mesopotamia, wheat, barley, vegetables and olives grow on rain and river water. On the Arabian Peninsula, date palms, irrigated forage and greenhouse vegetables depend on groundwater and desalinated water.
The region is one of the most water-scarce in the world. Farmers draw on rivers, deep groundwater, desalination and treated wastewater, and rainfall in rain-fed areas swings widely between years. Heat, salinity and dust add to the pressure. Farm sizes range from tiny plots in river valleys to very large centre pivots in the desert.
Map My Crop supports growers, agribusinesses, insurers and agencies in the Middle East and North Africa, and has an office in Dubai. Urban Tree Monitoring species models are validated for 100+ species in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.
Main crops
Wheat and barley
The main rain-fed and irrigated cereals, from Morocco and Tunisia through the Levant to Iraq.
Date palm
A tree crop of the Gulf, Iraq, Egypt and the North African oases, valued and water-hungry.
Olive
Planted across the Mediterranean rim, from Morocco and Tunisia to Jordan and Lebanon.
Citrus
Grown in irrigated basins in Morocco, Egypt and elsewhere, for local and export markets.
Tomato and greenhouse vegetables
Grown in protected systems from Souss-Massa to the Jordan Valley and the Gulf.
Alfalfa and forage
Livestock feed grown under pivots and on irrigated land, a heavy water user.
What makes it hard
Water scarcity
Every irrigation decision draws on limited rivers, aquifers or desalinated water. Applying the right amount at the right time is the core management task.
Drought, heat and floods
Rainfall varies widely from year to year, heat waves stress crops and sudden floods can damage fields. Early warning and fast damage evidence are valuable.
Mixed farm sizes and patchy records
Fields range from a fraction of a hectare to large pivots. Land and crop records are often incomplete, which slows planning, lending and insurance.
How Map My Crop helps in Middle East and North Africa
Match irrigation to need
Irrigation Suite models water need field by field from satellite, weather and soil factors, gives schedules and zone volumes, and compares planned with actual use. It covers tree crops such as date palm as well as field crops.
Count and track tree crops
Plantation Monitoring counts trees, flags gaps and scores tree health block by block for date palm, olive, citrus and other agricultural tree crops.
Price and manage drought risk
Risk Intelligence Suite flags drought, flood, frost and heat risk, validates claims against weather and imagery and supports parametric index cover for insurers and lenders.
Forecast yield and harvest timing
Farm Prediction Suite estimates yield and crop area per field, region or portfolio and updates as forecasts change, for procurement, food security planning and trading.
Keep a register of city trees
Urban Tree Monitoring detects individual trees, identifies species, scores health and schedules irrigation per tree zone, for municipalities, estates and infrastructure owners.
How it starts
- Tell us your area and crops. Tell us which countries, farms or portfolios you manage, which crops matter and what decision you need to make.
- We set up your fields and maps. Fields, orchard blocks or city tree areas are outlined from satellite imagery or taken from your own files. Crop types, weather and monitoring layers are attached to each unit.
- Review it in a demo. See maps, alerts and reports for your own fields or sourcing areas. Book a demo on the contact page. We reply within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries does this page cover?
The region spans many countries, and satellite monitoring does not stop at borders. For country detail, see the pages for the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco.
Can Map My Crop work on both tiny and very large farms?
Yes. Farm Boundary Detection works down to 0.02 ha fields, and the same platform monitors large centre pivots and estates.
Is it only for farms?
No. Urban Tree Monitoring covers non-agricultural trees in cities and estates, and Forest Monitoring tracks forest cover and change.
Do I need sensors?
No. Monitoring starts from satellite imagery and weather data. Sensor or IoT data can be added where it exists.