Adapting Activities to Expectations
13 March 2006
Read by 1723 persons
Overhauling the Texts Governing Chambers of Agriculture
Following the Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Services, the Chambers of Agriculture will undertake a major reform: of their operating methods, through the texts governing them; of the organization of their resources, to gain performance for the benefit of their field actions; of the management of their networks, to enhance their skills.
The challenge is to adapt their activities to the expectations of farmers and all their stakeholders.
The world is changing, the environment is changing. The Chambers of Agriculture must be present during these negotiations with the European Union on the agricultural sector. Because it is inconceivable to work in disarray. Therefore, 2006 should see the reform implemented.
Besides being able to apply for a seat in the House of Councillors, the Chambers of Agriculture have a major role to play. If only to defend the interests of farmers.
But currently, the members of these organizations seem completely absent from any decision-making center, both nationally and internationally. And to think that Morocco has an agricultural vocation. It must be acknowledged that the agricultural world is emerging from a long period of interventionist public policy and is now directly exposed to all the risks of economic liberalism.
In any case, from their creation in October 1962, the legal and financial organization of the Chambers of Agriculture already foreshadowed operational difficulties.
The involvement and control of the authorities left very little room for maneuver to the management of these entities whose attributions were and remain rather representative and consultative, rather than conducive to effective and autonomous actions.
As for their missions, when they are poorly or inadequately fulfilled, they often lack unity and coherence. These missions are sometimes carried out by other private and public actors without the sharing of competences and the distribution of responsibilities being clarified.
Therefore, developing a strategy is all the more necessary. Especially since some professional organizations in the field are evolving and organizing themselves to respond to the new realities of globalization.
But the main problem in the proper functioning of these Chambers of Agriculture is simply the lack of administrative and financial autonomy.
Public institutions, financed by public funds, these organizations are under the administrative, technical, and financial supervision of the State. This supervision is exercised on both the bodies and the acts of the Chambers.
Regarding the budget, obviously derisory, it barely covers operating expenses.
Incidentally, some Chambers do not even have a fax machine or adequate offices.
However, an effort was made in this direction in the year 2000.
A draft decree provided for a parafiscal tax on agricultural products to finance 70% of associations and 30% of Chambers of Agriculture.
It seems to be forgotten today, and while waiting for the situation to evolve, the Chambers are limited to the Agricultural Development Fund.
As for the personnel, that's another matter. These organizations have a total of 260 employees, of whom approximately 80% are subject to the personal status of the chambers, the rest being made available by the Ministry of Agriculture.
However, an analysis from the supervising ministry shows that the level of personnel requires an urgent upgrading of these organizations. If the level of nearly half of the personnel hardly exceeds the college level, 11% have a bachelor's degree or equivalent, while 13% of employees have no education.
It is clear that the low qualification and lack of specialized profiles considerably penalize the Chambers in the exercise of their "attributions". Finally, the representativeness of the profession is quite insufficient.
The Dahir creating the Chambers provides that only Moroccan citizens with a direct link to the land are eligible.
A small modification in this sense could better serve the agricultural world.
Therefore, organizations and individuals with activities closely linked to agriculture should be eligible for the Chambers (cooperatives, associations, off-site producers, etc.).
Thus, the Chambers of Agriculture would be representative of all the diversity of the agricultural world and could play the role that befits them.
Le Matin
March 3, 2006
Following the Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Services, the Chambers of Agriculture will undertake a major reform: of their operating methods, through the texts governing them; of the organization of their resources, to gain performance for the benefit of their field actions; of the management of their networks, to enhance their skills.
The challenge is to adapt their activities to the expectations of farmers and all their stakeholders.
The world is changing, the environment is changing. The Chambers of Agriculture must be present during these negotiations with the European Union on the agricultural sector. Because it is inconceivable to work in disarray. Therefore, 2006 should see the reform implemented.
Besides being able to apply for a seat in the House of Councillors, the Chambers of Agriculture have a major role to play. If only to defend the interests of farmers.
But currently, the members of these organizations seem completely absent from any decision-making center, both nationally and internationally. And to think that Morocco has an agricultural vocation. It must be acknowledged that the agricultural world is emerging from a long period of interventionist public policy and is now directly exposed to all the risks of economic liberalism.
In any case, from their creation in October 1962, the legal and financial organization of the Chambers of Agriculture already foreshadowed operational difficulties.
The involvement and control of the authorities left very little room for maneuver to the management of these entities whose attributions were and remain rather representative and consultative, rather than conducive to effective and autonomous actions.
As for their missions, when they are poorly or inadequately fulfilled, they often lack unity and coherence. These missions are sometimes carried out by other private and public actors without the sharing of competences and the distribution of responsibilities being clarified.
Therefore, developing a strategy is all the more necessary. Especially since some professional organizations in the field are evolving and organizing themselves to respond to the new realities of globalization.
But the main problem in the proper functioning of these Chambers of Agriculture is simply the lack of administrative and financial autonomy.
Public institutions, financed by public funds, these organizations are under the administrative, technical, and financial supervision of the State. This supervision is exercised on both the bodies and the acts of the Chambers.
Regarding the budget, obviously derisory, it barely covers operating expenses.
Incidentally, some Chambers do not even have a fax machine or adequate offices.
However, an effort was made in this direction in the year 2000.
A draft decree provided for a parafiscal tax on agricultural products to finance 70% of associations and 30% of Chambers of Agriculture.
It seems to be forgotten today, and while waiting for the situation to evolve, the Chambers are limited to the Agricultural Development Fund.
As for the personnel, that's another matter. These organizations have a total of 260 employees, of whom approximately 80% are subject to the personal status of the chambers, the rest being made available by the Ministry of Agriculture.
However, an analysis from the supervising ministry shows that the level of personnel requires an urgent upgrading of these organizations. If the level of nearly half of the personnel hardly exceeds the college level, 11% have a bachelor's degree or equivalent, while 13% of employees have no education.
It is clear that the low qualification and lack of specialized profiles considerably penalize the Chambers in the exercise of their "attributions". Finally, the representativeness of the profession is quite insufficient.
The Dahir creating the Chambers provides that only Moroccan citizens with a direct link to the land are eligible.
A small modification in this sense could better serve the agricultural world.
Therefore, organizations and individuals with activities closely linked to agriculture should be eligible for the Chambers (cooperatives, associations, off-site producers, etc.).
Thus, the Chambers of Agriculture would be representative of all the diversity of the agricultural world and could play the role that befits them.
Le Matin
March 3, 2006
