AFD Advocates for Maintaining Rural Employment
4 August 2014
Read by 1905 persons
Family farming has many advantages that can only be fully realized if governments create a supportive institutional and economic framework. Isolated, family farms struggle to develop. Grouped into cooperatives, they more easily find markets, new techniques, and financing," says the French Development Agency (AFD), whose financial and logistical support for small and medium-sized Moroccan agricultural farms remains crucial.
As a reminder, in 2013, the AFD allocated a 20 million euro credit line to support small and medium-sized Moroccan agricultural farms as part of the Green Morocco Plan.
"The interest in supporting small and medium-sized family farms in a large agricultural country is, of course, to create wealth in rural areas, jobs, and income. It is therefore clearly about poverty reduction," explains Emmanuel Baudran, mission officer at AFD-Rabat.
But that's not all. "When faced with rural exodus in a country where the economic development of other sectors exists but cannot absorb all the workforce coming from rural areas, it is in our interest to maintain employment in rural areas," emphasizes this agronomist, recalling that "agriculture is the largest employer in rural areas and throughout Morocco."
In this regard, it is worth recalling that in Morocco, 4 out of 10 jobs are in agriculture and that if the country's growth is positive, it is thanks to agriculture.
"There are, of course, large farms, but there are also a multitude of small producers, more than 750,000 throughout the country. Since 2008, the state has set itself the goal of modernizing this family farming to make it more productive, increase farmers' incomes, and thus reduce poverty and curb rural exodus," notes the AFD in a recently published document.
But while Moroccan agriculture remains the country's largest employer and contributes to creating 15% of national wealth, it faces difficulties in developing. It is therefore to meet this challenge and with the aim of developing agricultural cooperatives through technical and financial support that the Green Morocco Plan was created.
To encourage and support the grouping of small and medium-sized farms into cooperatives in order to better help them produce, market their products, and integrate into the agri-food sectors. These are the objectives of this plan, through which the state provides technical resources, training, and financial support.
An approach that seems to relieve many farmers, as evidenced by Abderrahmane Adnane, a farmer from the village of Ribat al Kheir (Séfrou region): "Thanks to the Green Morocco Plan, everything has changed in the village. We no longer cultivate only to survive. The standard of living of farmers has improved to the point that many have reached a middle-class level," reports the AFD.
This is thanks to innovations in crops that have made farmers' work more profitable, but also to the training received with the help of the Séfrou Provincial Directorate of Agriculture (DAP), he says.
It should also be noted that relations between farmers and the administration have not always been good. Indeed, the administration imposed the crops to be prioritized without seeking to know what the farmers' needs were. A relationship that seems to have evolved. Now, "the administration discusses with young people and asks them what they need," notes a farmer.
Confirmation from Moulay Driss Gaouzi, director of the Ras Tabouda Agricultural Advisory Center: "Now, everything they need, they find it here. I mean that the support provided by the state to farmers is concrete."
It should, however, be emphasized that the policy of modernizing agriculture undertaken by Morocco in recent years has a cost. Although subsidized by the state budget, it also needs the support of national and international donors. Like the French Development Agency, whose involvement in this sector is a great support.
Despite some pitfalls observed here and there, everything suggests that family farming is improving. "Cooperatives sell their products, some have even been able to oust wholesalers. They have managed to supply, in addition to local markets, regional markets," rejoices the AFD, pointing out that the organization of family farming into cooperatives encourages the pursuit of quality. "The better the product, the higher the income. In addition, there is a second advantage, the cooperative protects its members; it mitigates the negative effects of climate hazards and market fluctuations," estimates the agency.
"In a general context where employment tends to decrease, Moroccan agriculture has created more than 158,000 jobs this year. This shows that there is still enormous potential in agriculture, and not only in large farms," observes Tariq Sijilmassi, Chairman of the Management Board of Crédit Agricole du Maroc."
Alain Bouithy.
Libe.ma
Published August 4, 2014.
Posted online August 4, 2014.
As a reminder, in 2013, the AFD allocated a 20 million euro credit line to support small and medium-sized Moroccan agricultural farms as part of the Green Morocco Plan.
"The interest in supporting small and medium-sized family farms in a large agricultural country is, of course, to create wealth in rural areas, jobs, and income. It is therefore clearly about poverty reduction," explains Emmanuel Baudran, mission officer at AFD-Rabat.
But that's not all. "When faced with rural exodus in a country where the economic development of other sectors exists but cannot absorb all the workforce coming from rural areas, it is in our interest to maintain employment in rural areas," emphasizes this agronomist, recalling that "agriculture is the largest employer in rural areas and throughout Morocco."
In this regard, it is worth recalling that in Morocco, 4 out of 10 jobs are in agriculture and that if the country's growth is positive, it is thanks to agriculture.
"There are, of course, large farms, but there are also a multitude of small producers, more than 750,000 throughout the country. Since 2008, the state has set itself the goal of modernizing this family farming to make it more productive, increase farmers' incomes, and thus reduce poverty and curb rural exodus," notes the AFD in a recently published document.
But while Moroccan agriculture remains the country's largest employer and contributes to creating 15% of national wealth, it faces difficulties in developing. It is therefore to meet this challenge and with the aim of developing agricultural cooperatives through technical and financial support that the Green Morocco Plan was created.
To encourage and support the grouping of small and medium-sized farms into cooperatives in order to better help them produce, market their products, and integrate into the agri-food sectors. These are the objectives of this plan, through which the state provides technical resources, training, and financial support.
An approach that seems to relieve many farmers, as evidenced by Abderrahmane Adnane, a farmer from the village of Ribat al Kheir (Séfrou region): "Thanks to the Green Morocco Plan, everything has changed in the village. We no longer cultivate only to survive. The standard of living of farmers has improved to the point that many have reached a middle-class level," reports the AFD.
This is thanks to innovations in crops that have made farmers' work more profitable, but also to the training received with the help of the Séfrou Provincial Directorate of Agriculture (DAP), he says.
It should also be noted that relations between farmers and the administration have not always been good. Indeed, the administration imposed the crops to be prioritized without seeking to know what the farmers' needs were. A relationship that seems to have evolved. Now, "the administration discusses with young people and asks them what they need," notes a farmer.
Confirmation from Moulay Driss Gaouzi, director of the Ras Tabouda Agricultural Advisory Center: "Now, everything they need, they find it here. I mean that the support provided by the state to farmers is concrete."
It should, however, be emphasized that the policy of modernizing agriculture undertaken by Morocco in recent years has a cost. Although subsidized by the state budget, it also needs the support of national and international donors. Like the French Development Agency, whose involvement in this sector is a great support.
Despite some pitfalls observed here and there, everything suggests that family farming is improving. "Cooperatives sell their products, some have even been able to oust wholesalers. They have managed to supply, in addition to local markets, regional markets," rejoices the AFD, pointing out that the organization of family farming into cooperatives encourages the pursuit of quality. "The better the product, the higher the income. In addition, there is a second advantage, the cooperative protects its members; it mitigates the negative effects of climate hazards and market fluctuations," estimates the agency.
"In a general context where employment tends to decrease, Moroccan agriculture has created more than 158,000 jobs this year. This shows that there is still enormous potential in agriculture, and not only in large farms," observes Tariq Sijilmassi, Chairman of the Management Board of Crédit Agricole du Maroc."
Alain Bouithy.
Libe.ma
Published August 4, 2014.
Posted online August 4, 2014.
