Moroccan third-quarter growth 6.1 pct: HCP estimate

RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's economy grew by an estimated 6.1 percent in the third quarter, accelerating from 5.4 percent in the second when foreign demand for its goods and services stabilised, the government said on Wednesday.

Non-farm growth was seen at 3.1 percent in the third quarter after stagnating earlier in the year, the state High Planning Commission said in a statement.

It said Morocco would benefit from a strengthening global economy for the rest of the year.

"This activity should bolster the pick-up of foreign demand towards Morocco which should reach 2.6 percent in the (second) half," the HCP said.

"Industrial activity (in Morocco) seems to have improved a little from the third quarter," it said, adding that the growth was confined mostly to the food industry, chemicals and non-metallic minerals.

It said the construction industry grew by about 0.8 percent in the third quarter, driven by government-backed public works programmes.

The government's draft 2010 budget foresees economic growth of 3.5 percent next year compared to 5.3 percent this year when a record grain harvest boosted farm incomes and domestic consumption.