The Kingdom of Morocco is set to receive US $178milion from the French Development Agency (AFD) destined to support the country’s new agricultural strategy “Generation Green 2020-2030”.
France’s Ambassador to Morocco Hélène Le Gal who witnessed signing of two agreement between the two sides, said the AFD funding will help the North African Kingdom to strengthen its agricultural marketing infrastructures, bolster agricultural entrepreneurship and encourage sustainable use of natural resources in small farms.
This will make make rural zones more attractive for the younger generations and more profitable for small farmers by financing the modernization of processing and marketing infrastructures and strengthening the human capital. According to AFD, the funding will support the marketing of local products and the maintenance of farms & agricultural equipment.
Modernize management
It will also encourage the use of digital services and modernize management It seeks to support young people including women in rural zones to enable them develop their own businesses or service cooperatives in the agricultural and para-agricultural field.
The goal is to develop training, apprenticeship and consulting services for young men and women who wish to create and consolidate their farms or businesses. Up to 100,000 young people will benefit from these financial facilities, while 12,000 producers will benefit from support to develop smart farming practices and more than 8,000 hectares will be converted to organic farming. During the past decade, Morocco’s agriculture sector contributed between 12% to 14% to the country’s GDP. The sector plays a key role in the Kingdom’s socio-economic development and remains the largest employer.
