Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan chairs opening ceremony of Meknes agriculture fair

Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan chaired, in Meknes on Monday, the opening ceremony of the 16th International Agricultural Fair in Morocco (SIAM), held April 22-28, under the theme “Climate and Agriculture: Advocating Sustainable and Resilient Production Systems” and featuring Spain as guest of honor.

At the start of the opening ceremony of this 16th edition, held under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan presented three certificates of recognition of the Distinctive Signs of Origin and Quality to the presidents of producer groups of local products awarded the label during the 2023-2024 crop season.

Thus, the first certificate was awarded to Abdelkrim Bayad, president of the Federation of Oriental almond professionals for the Geographical Indication “Amandes Beni Snassen” (Oriental region), while the second was presented to Mohamed El Hadi, president of the Ait Bouguemez cooperative of agricultural producers for the Geographical Indication “Pomme de la Vallée Ait Bouguemez” (Beni Mellal-Khenifra region).

The third certificate was awarded to Abdessalam El Houadfi, director of “Le Petit Domaine SARL” company for the “Free-range chicken eggs” agricultural label.

the labeling system, one of the main areas of product development within the framework of the “Green Morocco Plan” and “Génération Green”, aims to promote the quality of local products and enhance the know-how of local populations, develop rural areas and improve farmers’ incomes, protect good-quality local products against usurpation, and promote agriculture in rural areas capable of preserving biodiversity and natural resources.

At the entrance to the exhibition, the Crown Prince was greeted by Luis Planas, Spain’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, personalities representing the foreign countries invited to the fair, namely France, Romania, Czech Republic, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, and South Sudan), as well as by Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission.

Afterwards, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan visited the various sections of the exhibition and received explanations on the products showcased, in particular the “Regions” hub, the “Water and Irrigation” and “Research and Innovation” stands in the “Génération Green” pavilion of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, as well as the “Institutional”, “Local Products”, “Livestock Inputs”, “Livestock”, “Agri-Digital” and “International” hubs.

At the “Agri-Foods” hub, the Crown Prince followed an immersive video on the digitalization of agriculture, before moving on to the “Agro-Supplies” and “Machinery” hubs.

The fair, extending on a 12.4-Ha site, sees the participation of 70 countries and 1,500 exhibitors and features 40 conferences and round tables.

It offers visitors a wide range of products and the latest generation of agricultural machinery, designed to promote agricultural and livestock production, as well as key sectors of the regional economy, including agri-food and its corollary, the food industry.

The 2024 SIAM is marked by the introduction of a new “Agri-Digital” Hub, illustrating the role of digital technologies in the service of a more efficient and resilient agriculture, the significant extension of the “Local Products” Hub, promoting Moroccan agricultural diversity, and the introduction of the E-ticket to improve access conditions.

Over the years, SIAM has succeeded in positioning itself as a flagship event for Morocco in general and its agriculture in particular. It has acquired a leading pan-African dimension, and has become the major event for professionals in the sector on a continental scale.