French AFD supports Morocco’s farming strategy with €150.6 Mln funding

French Development Agency (AFD) has provided Morocco €150.6 million destined to support the Kingdom’s new agricultural strategy “Generation Green 2020-2030”.

Two agreements were signed Monday in Rabat by the two sides in presence of France’s Ambassador to Morocco Hélène Le Gal.

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.

It aims to 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.

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.

According to AFD, the funding will support the marketing of local products and the maintenance of farms & agricultural equipment. It will also encourage the use of digital services and modernize management

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 pc to 14 pc to the country’s GDP. The sector plays a key role in the Kingdom’s socio-economic development and remains the largest employer.