Fpart of the economy, the agri-food sector is a historic branch of national industry. Over the years, he has continued to record significant achievements. Involving both the agricultural sector and industry, the agri-food sector achieves continuous growth in terms of investments, employment, the creation of added value and exports. The sector capitalizes on numerous assets, such as the geographical and natural diversity of the Kingdom, the proximity of the main markets, the availability of raw materials, qualified human resources at a competitive cost, and a proactive State policy to promote the sector. It stands out with a multitude of players as well as branches which are linked to agricultural sectors (milk, red meats, poultry farming, cereals, olive growing, etc.).
Its performance is the result of a synergy between the Green Morocco Plan (PMV) and the industrial acceleration plan. To support this momentum, the agri-food industry is banking on strengthening integration between upstream and downstream agriculture as part of Generation Green. It is a question of supporting aggregation and having reinforced interprofessional coordination.
In this regard, great industrial champions have emerged. They are linked, through partnerships, to associations or cooperatives which ensure adequate supplies during their production cycle. For their part, manufacturers provide technical support to farmers to help them deploy the best techniques to conserve the soil, use profitable and drought-resistant seeds or other environmentally friendly inputs. It is also about introducing them to the best ways to better preserve and package their products. Operators are increasingly interested in the use of renewable energies in production.
“The partnership of the agri-food sector and the agricultural upstream is very important for both branches. To fully control our production costs, we constantly aim to ensure normal and continuous supply throughout the production cycle. It is essential to secure the necessary volume at an attractive price and good quality. These are necessary ingredients to remain competitive and counter foreign competition. Our goal is to deliver to the local consumer in good conditions. For their part, farmers can sell their products at attractive prices so as not to depend on speculators,” underlines Eyad Sobh, president of the foreign trade commission at the National Agri-Food Federation (Fenagri).
“As part of aggregation, many agro-industrial groups have sealed partnerships with agricultural associations or cooperatives in different sectors. This cooperation makes it possible to provide advice and technical support to farmers, both in production and in packaging. Ultimately, the level of production and quality increases for the benefit of operators and manufacturers. The Green Morocco Plan gave a strong impetus to this integration, which could be improved with Génération Green. Our role is to increase the added value of local production and no longer export raw agricultural products,” adds Eyad Sobh. To support the sector, the government has launched various support programs relating in particular to the creation of agropoles, latest generation wholesale markets, first-time exporters or innovation to improve the competitiveness of companies. On this last point, professionals in the sector are working to seal agreements with the various players in the field.
“Within the Federation, we have the Technical Center for Agro-Food Industries (CETIA), which is an interprofessional association created by Fenagri and the Ministry of Industry, with the support of the European Union delegation in Rabat . It is a laboratory dedicated to the agri-food industries to support them in research and development. It should play an important role in developing innovation and meeting the aspirations of Moroccan operators in this area in order to improve their competitiveness. Some of the inputs needed by the agri-food industry are imported. This is a major constraint that the sector must face intelligently. La flucKilling the market for raw materials, semi-finished and finished products internationally constitutes a major risk in terms of supply and stability of the value chain. It is therefore essential to establish reliable partnerships for the long term. The sector must also strengthen its sourcing from local suppliers,” says Sobh.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the sector must face various constraints, such as climatic hazards which risk disrupting the value chain. Drought remains the main obstacle impacting upstream agriculture, with notable effects downstream. Several sectors saw their production fall, and they were forced to import to comhurt the deficit. This is the case for oilseeds. Established mainly in the irrigated areas of Tadla and Doukkala, this sector has been hit hard by the drop in reserves at the Bin El Ouidane dams, which supplies the first region, and that of El Massira, which serves the second. Several operators were forced to migrate to other activities that did not require much water resources. For industrial processors, importing raw materials is cheaper than sourcing locally. The same scenario affected other branches, but on a small scale, such as the dairy sector, that of red meat and olive growing.
Revealing indicators
The agri-food sector generates an average annual turnover of 165 billion DH. A performance expected to develop further if we take into consideration the existing development prospects both to supply the local market and for international outlets. The activity brings together more than 2,000 companies, and employs more than 200,000 people, or 22% of formal employment. In terms of exports, the sector generates 43 billion DH in value, the equivalent of 12% of national exports. Representing more than 27% of industrial companies, it provides 25% of production and 16% of investments in the sector.
