The Cherifien Office of Phosphates (OCP), a major actor in the agricultural industry and a steadfast supporter of the International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco (SIAM), has made a public announcement about its dedication to advancing sustainable agriculture in Africa and around the world.

OCP stated in a press release: “As part of our steadfast commitment to Africa, we have earmarked four million tonnes of fertilizer to the continent in 2023, which is more than a quarter of our anticipated global production. This will help to fill up to 80% of Africa’s fertilizer gap.

OCP has always placed a high priority on tailoring its offerings to support regional economies and agriculture. The company has positioned farmers at the center of its strategy, providing products and services that are increasingly personalized to their requirements and adjusted to changes in territories and markets in response to the concerns of food security and climate change.

Scientific research and innovation are crucial components of OCP’s vision, particularly in meeting the challenges and needs of Africa. The company is developing technological, financial, social, sustainable, and customized solutions, combined with local action, to make a real impact on the agricultural ecosystem.

OCP has a long-standing partnership with the agricultural industry, especially with SIAM, which enables the firm to play a key role in promoting agriculture as a force for growth in Morocco and Africa as a whole. Growth, employment, and geographic areas are all affected long-term by this.

OCP launched a subsidiary, OCP Africa, in February 2016, placing Africa at the center of its strategy. In order to address the issue of organized, effective, and sustainable agriculture, OCP Africa is committed to the growth of the company’s operations on the continent.

OCP Africa is focusing on every aspect of the agricultural value chain in order to achieve this, including securing the production of competitive fertilizers close to important agricultural basins, enhancing its logistical capabilities, and helping to create new local distribution networks to serve the entire agricultural sector. OCP Africa provides farmers with comprehensive solutions, including funding and training, in addition to simply distributing fertilizers.

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Mohammed Sadiki, the Moroccan minister of agriculture, fisheries, rural development, and water and forests, and Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, the Emirati minister of economy, discussed ways to improve their countries’ bilateral agricultural investment cooperation on Thursday in Rabat.

After the meeting, Sadiki gave a press conference in which he praised the close ties of brotherhood between Morocco and the United Arab Emirates and emphasized the significance of expanding agricultural investment and technology transfer between the two nations, particularly to boost agricultural production.

The Minister also emphasized the necessity for both countries’ business sectors to work together more effectively in order to achieve a level of distinctive bilateral cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Morocco.

Al Marri emphasized that this gathering offers a chance to promote investment, investigate paths, and identify potential future investment opportunities in agriculture, agricultural technologies, and food sovereignty.

The Emirati official praised the solid and growing ties between the two nations and recalled the day’s earlier holding of the first ministerial meeting of the Moroccan-Emirati joint economic commission, which had as its main goals the expansion of the two nations’ trade and economic ties as well as the creation of mechanisms for cooperation.

The Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah, and Al Marri had a bilateral meeting prior to the first ministerial session of the Moroccan-Emirati joint economic commission, which was attended by senior officials from both ministries as well as some public institutions and private sector actors of both countries. The meeting culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding on economic and technical cooperation between the two parties.

Read Also: Eric Ciotti, president of France’s Republicains, to visit Morocco amid dormant bilateral crisis

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Morocco brought in 2,000 cattle from Brazil in March, and Mohamed Sadiki, minister of agriculture, announced today that 3,000 more livestock will be sent in shortly.

Appearing as a guest at a symposium organized by the MAP agency, the minister claimed that Morocco has so far imported roughly 20,000 cattle in an effort to lower meat prices, which have seen an unheard-of increase over the past few weeks.

He claimed that due to widespread public anxiety over Brazilian beef following a recent mad cow disease scare that Brazil reported to the World Health Organization, it sells for 65–67 dh in marketplaces.

Just a month ago, a case of the illness, known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, was discovered on a tiny farm in the Amazonian state of Pará, prompting an embargo from many nations, including Brazil’s largest customer, China.

The largest beef producer in the world, Brazil, confirmed the case was found at a farm with 160 cattle, claiming the signs were those of an unusual incidence of the illness, which arises spontaneously in older cows and is less harmful and contagious.
Since then, China has restarted imports of Brazilian beef, although it has stated that it will quarantine and analyze the meat before allowing it to be sold in stores.

Before meat is delivered to markets, livestock will also undergo safety and quality inspections, according to Sadiki.

Claims that imported cows were infected with mad cow disease, he claimed, are “not true.”

The majority of Morocco’s imports have come from France and Spain, but because to the “exorbitant price of the herd in Europe,” he claimed, the government has turned to Brazil for imports because of the “cheap price.”

To boost the supply of cattle intended for slaughter from Europe and Latin America, Morocco eliminated customs duties and value-added tax.
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For the crop year 2022-2023, wheat exports from the European Union are now primarily going to Morocco.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine eased the wheat market, sales to other nations have been impeded by resurgent competition in the Black Sea.

Morocco has grown to be a more significant market than normal for EU wheat due to rising import demands following a drought-plagued harvest.

According to Reuters, the nation intends to import 1.5 million more tons of soft wheat between March and May.

According to the same source, France, the largest wheat producer in the EU, has been able to sell the majority of an excess of non-EU exports estimated at just over 10 million tons thanks to consistent demand from Morocco and good sales to Algeria, China, and Egypt.

Since the middle of the season, the Black Sea has once again been a major competitor, the news agency notes.

While Russia has found markets for its record 2022 crop, Ukrainian levels are backed by a Black Sea passage during times of conflict.

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The Kingdom’s ambassador in Rome, Youssef Balla, called for a tripartite cooperation between Morocco, Africa and Europe for a sustainable agriculture, based on the latest digital technologies and a qualified workforce.

The objective of this partnership is to make sustainable agriculture an engine of economic development to ensure food security in Africa, the ambassador said at a meeting on “the evolution of Italian and European agribusiness between sustainability and welfare”, organized recently by the Italian Agency for Green Economy (GEA).

This cooperation could focus on two main areas, namely the promotion of new technologies and the professional training of a qualified workforce for the optimal use of these technologies, the diplomat noted, recommending the implementation of agro-ecological production techniques that effectively meet the needs of sustainable development in Africa.

According to Mr Balla, these production techniques will not only increase agricultural productivity, but also strengthen its resilience to the effects of climate change. They will thus contribute to reducing food and nutrition insecurity on the continent, he explained.

He said the food crisis, which is currently suffocating many populations and economies worldwide, is putting at risk the social fabric, supply chains, raw materials, food and the farmer himself. Sustainable agriculture in an innovative framework, based on research and creation, will help to meet these challenges, the diplomat stressed.

In this sense, he highlighted the new vision of the Kingdom in terms of agricultural development, embodied by the “Green Generation Strategy 2020-2030” which is a continuation of the “Green Morocco Plan”, implemented since 2008.

This roadmap is based on two pillars, namely strengthening the role of the human element through the emergence of a new generation of middle-class farmers and young entrepreneurs and developing a resilient and sustainable agricultural sector through the adoption of smart practices in the face of climate challenges, he said.

Based on the deep conviction of the imperative to strengthen the competitiveness of African agriculture in a world increasingly globalized and marked by multiple free trade agreements, Morocco is committed, as usual, to share all its experience and agricultural know-how with the countries of the continent, said the ambassador.

Morocco’s mandate within the Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP), the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger in the world, was recently renewed for the third consecutive year as coordinator of the African Group. Unanimously endorsed by African countries, this re-election is a testimony to the trust placed in Morocco on the one hand, and to the Kingdom’s continued commitment to African causes on the other.

Read Also: Agriculture: the PMV and “Generation Green” are an effective response to climate change

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The Santa Fe region of Argentina wants to create a beneficial partnership with Morocco in the fertilizer and agriculture sectors.

One of the most productive areas in Argentina is the province of Santa Fe, which is found in the country’s northeast.

At a working discussion with the Moroccan ambassador to Argentina, Fares Yassir, on the sidelines of the Agricultural Fair, Regional Production Minister Daniel Costamanga highlighted the province’s willingness to collaborate with Morocco in terms of fertilizer.

Santa Fe and Morocco are getting ready to collaborate on a “big challenge in regard to an important investment,” according to the provincial official, with the goal of assisting in the development of the province’s resources and the preservation of its agricultural land.

Acknowledging Morocco’s leadership in the fertilizer domain, Costamanga stressed that cooperation with Morocco is an opportunity to boost the region’s growth.

“We are going to put all of our energy and all the potential of our policy of stimulating agro-industrial production in the province of Santa Fe into it so that our relations with Morocco develop beyond this investment and so that they are sustainable and beneficial for Morocco, for the province of Santa Fe and for the thousands of farmers who integrate the agricultural complex” of the region, he said.

Through its OCP Group, Morocco continues to boost its leadership in the fertilizer market. OCP Group has frequently emphasized its determination to continue helping countries and partners develop their agricultural yields through fertilizer.

Since Morocco is home to 75% of the world’s phosphate rock reserves, the company oversees Morocco’s phosphate holdings. The substance is a vital component used in the manufacture of fertilizer.

At the end of September 2022, OCP’s main segment of sales—representing 65% of all sales—was dominated by fertilizers.

South American, Asian, and African nations had high demand, and these regions accounted for 87% of the group’s export volume between 2018 and 2022.

Last year, the group’s revenues exceeded $11 billion, an increase of 36% from the previous year.

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Morocco’s fresh strawberry exports set a new record in 2022, and the country continued to diversify supplies, according to EastFruit.

Fresh strawberries in Morocco, despite having a lower export volume than frozen strawberries or fresh raspberries and blueberries, remain a key commodity in the country’s fruit and vegetable exports. Fresh strawberries are among Morocco’s top ten most exported vegetables and fruits, bringing the country between $40 and $70 million in revenue almost every year.

22 400 tonnes of fresh strawberries were exported from the country in 2022, which is, 17% more than in 2021 and almost 1 000 tonnes more than the previous record in 2019.

Morocco has increased its fresh strawberry exports by an average of 3% per year since 2017, which cannot be attributed to significant growth rates. In comparison, over the same time period, the country increased blueberry exports by 28% per year. The development trends of Moroccan fresh strawberry exports are divided into two categories. EastFruit advises project countries’ exporters to be cautious.

First, back in 2017, over three-quarters of Moroccan fresh strawberries were exported only to Spain, and five years later, its share had dropped to just over 20%. Secondly, the share of buyers from the Middle East in the structure of Moroccan exports during this period increased from less than 0.5 to 8%.

Spain is one of the key investors in Moroccan agribusiness, and strawberry cultivation projects in Morocco were originally focused on deliveries to this country. This allowed Spanish exporters to extend their export season because the peak of supplies of fresh strawberries in Spain is in March-April, and in Morocco – in January-February. At the same time, Moroccan exporters, trading through Spain, lost a large part of the revenue they would have received from direct exports. By the way, Ukraine did not receive a significant part of its export earnings from the supply of blueberries in 2022 for similar reasons, since more than half of its exports were carried out through Poland.

As a result, volumes previously supplied from Morocco through Spain began to be exported directly, and the United Kingdom became the leader in the import of fresh Moroccan strawberries. In 2022, the United Kingdom imported almost half of the Moroccan strawberry exports. It should be noted that Brexit which once greatly complicated the deliveries to the British market from the EU countries contributed to the emergence of the UK as a leader in strawberry imports.

An additional significant development in Moroccan exports over the past few years has been a sharp rise in supplies to the Middle East. Morocco exported only 56 tonnes of fresh strawberries to this region in 2017, but in 2022, that number increased by 30 times (1 700 tonnes). The main consumers of were the UAE and Qatar (900 and 630 tonnes, respectively), though Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait also received smaller quantities.

Read Also: UK market faces tomato shortage after exports from Morocco and Spain drop

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The cooperative “Bio cannat” in Morocco announced on Monday the launch of the first laboratory for processing Indian cannabis and extracting materials for the food and medical industry.

The cooperative said in a statement on Facebook that this production unit, located in the area of Bab Berred, in the region of Chefchaouen, is the first unit at the national level under construction for the exploitation of Indian cannabis for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

“In partnership with its members, public and private partners, the cooperative has realized the first production unit for the processing of Indian cannabis and the extraction of substances, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN) and other substances,” the cooperative notes.

According to the same source, “these substances are used in many food, industrial, medical and semi-medical industries due to their numerous benefits, scientifically proven to relieve pain and help in the treatment of many pathological conditions.

The cooperative obtained the first licence for the conversion of Indian hemp at the national level last October, adding that “there will be agricultural experiments with some farmers in the Chefchaouen region, in order to provide the raw material after having provided the seeds for this purpose,” according to the same source.

Read Also: Morocco moving fast toward legalizing cannabis as world consumption becomes more normalized

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Under the slogan “Morocco: Centuries of flavours”, the Agricultural Development Agency inaugurated, on Saturday, the Morocco gallery at the 59th edition of the Paris International Agricultural Show. This arcade, which combines originality and modernity, has managed to attract thousands of visitors.

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Mehdi Rifi, Director General of the Agricultural Development Agency, who inaugurated the Moroccan gallery in the presence of the representative of the Kingdom of Morocco’s embassy in Paris and officials of the agency, considered that Morocco’s participation in the Paris International Agricultural Show is an opportunity for Moroccan exhibitors to exchange their experiences with their counterparts from Europe and the world, and to benefit from successful experiences.

In a statement to the Express, Rifi explained that the participation organised by the Agricultural Development Agency is part of the strategy to develop the marketing of local products, which began during the Green Morocco Plan and was reinforced during the Green Generation Strategy, which aims to create a new middle class in the rural world.

He added that “the Moroccan pavilion is an invitation to discover the Moroccan wealth, where 30 groups of producers from all over the kingdom are exhibiting more than 100 local products, and these groups represent 48 farmers’ cooperatives that bring together more than 1,600 small farmers, including 703 rural women.

He stressed that the local products on display have been selected according to strict standards in terms of quality, packaging and health safety, noting that they “reflect the qualitative leap that Morocco has witnessed thanks to the tireless work done over the past decade in this very field.

The Director General of the Agricultural Development Agency revealed that the Moroccan participation in the fair was preceded by preparatory work, which consisted of training exhibitors through workshops, with the scheduling of at least 250 working meetings between them and representatives of large and medium-sized markets, as well as representatives of commercial centres, in addition to actors in the field of marketing and promotion of local products.

Mr. Rifi concluded his speech by stressing that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests and the Agricultural Development Agency are constantly working to support and strengthen the capacities of small farmers and producers in order to enable them to provide the best products on the local and international markets and to improve their income and standard of living.

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The company based in Sagunto, Valencia, is expanding its main berry cultivation in Morocco. The berry and citrus specialist, Daifressh, which currently has 80 hectares of raspberry production in the Agadir region, has just acquired two new farms covering 140 hectares. Its objective: to become the leading supplier in Central Europe.

Just under three years after starting raspberry production in the Agadir region, the Spanish multinational Daifressh is thinking bigger in Morocco. As its market presence continues to grow, the company, which produces and distributes to international retailers through its own logistics network, wants to consolidate its berry production in the Kingdom. While Daifressh has 80 hectares of raspberry production to date, it has recently acquired a further 140 hectares, which should come into production in the next few years. This new area will be divided into 105 hectares of blueberries and 35 hectares of raspberries.

Meanwhile, on its 80-hectare raspberry farm, the Valencia-based group is conducting ongoing tests on 15 hectares for new varieties, including white chillies, chillies and hydroponic Kapia.

For the record, Morocco is the latest project of the Spanish multinational, which also continues to strengthen its investments in Poland in new areas, as well as in improving its varietal offer and more efficient and sustainable cultivation systems.

Last year, Daifresh’s farms in Poland covered 125 hectares dedicated to the production of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. For this season, which starts in a few months, an additional 11 hectares of raspberries and 4 hectares of blueberries will be available and in the coming years the company plans to develop a total of 280 hectares, of which 120 are for raspberries and 160 for blueberries.

With its investments in Morocco and Poland, the Daifressh Group aims to become the leading supplier in Central Europe.

Read Also: UK market faces tomato shortage after exports from Morocco and Spain drop

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