Highlights

Morocco - Qatar cooperation: 136 million USD to finance agricultural projects in Morocco

24/08/2014
Morocco - Qatar cooperation:  136 million USD to finance agricultural projects in Morocco

Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance M. Mohamed Boussaid and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries M. Aziz Akhannouch, and Qatar's Minister of Finance M. Ali Shareef Al-Emadi signed a donation agreement of 136 M$ to support two development projects related to irrigation and pastures fields, and the transhumance problematic. During this ceremony, the ministers congratulated themselves for the quality and for the degree of cooperation relations between both countries under the high impulse of King Mohammed VI, and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani Prince of Qatar. Two projects have been selected to benefit from the first donation destined to agricultural sector. one for draft irrigation of Asjen project, in the province of Wazzan, costing 61 M$ of which 48.8 M$ funded by the Qatari gift.

This project will allow among other things, the improvement of water resources from the Oued El Makhazen dam by the extension of irrigation to an additional 2500 hectares area; the increasing of farmers ‘income through crop diversification and the enhancement of agricultural products; the planning and equipment of 2500 hectares by economic irrigation technics; the strengthening of the organizations capacity and the professional associations, and the sustainable use of natural resources.

The hydro agricultural planning of Asjen area will achieve a 17% yield and will increase the agricultural net income per hectare of 613% from 5160 to 36,800 dirhams per hectare. The second project concerns the development of pastures and the organization of transhumance in the desert pastures in Sous-Massa-Daraa and Guelimim-Essemara.

This second project costing 109 M$, of which 87.2 M$ funded by the Qatari gift, spread out over 16 million hectares area. It aims to planning and equipping pastures by creating pastoral reserves, preserving biological diversity, organizing transhumance, and supervising and forming the transhumant pastoralists in pastoral cooperative, developing production procedures and related productions, hence improving the pastoral incomes.

This social, economic, environmental and cultural project, will have positive effects on concerned populations particularly the creation of 300 direct and permanent jobs and the creation of 1.2 million workshop jobs, the improving access to health services for 3000 families, improving productivity through the production of 13 million additional pastoral units per year, enhancing living conditions of more than 100,000 inhabitants of farmers families, strengthening capacity of people in all sectors of production and generating income activities, and finally opening up the isolated areas affected by the program through creating 400 km of pastoral roads.

Nowadays, Morocco confirms the confidence expressed worldwide, including the geographic diversification of its partners and allies. It thus becomes a link in the international cooperation and serves as an example in this regard. From Africa to North America, through Europe and Middle East, Morocco has managed to establish fruitful and diverse partnerships.

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