2024-05-06 18:00:00
The challenges that must be met and the opportunities that must be seized to market Moroccan agricultural food products are many. Eyad Sobh, head of the Fenagri Foreign Trade Committee, returns to these questions.
Challenge : The program contract for the agricultural industry for 2017-2021 was a real “boost” for the sector. When will the next roadmap be eagerly awaited by agricultural industry professionals?
Eyad Sobh: The program contract is being prepared. This road map, which FENAGRI and the Ministry of Trade and Industry are working on, and which will undoubtedly give more visibility, is being completed.
Challenge : A quantitative and qualitative study of the program contract 2017-2021 was entrusted by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to the firm Naos Consulting, which in addition to evaluating the program will develop recommendations and scenarios for following 2021 Where are we in this study?
ES: This evaluation of the 2017-2021 program contract was carried out and supports us for the launch of the new program contract, which would normally be launched in 2021, but with the Covid-19 pandemic and the number of stakeholders, this took more time than expected. As I told you, the program contract is being finalized and should see the light of day this year.
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Challenge: Overall, what are FENAGRI’s expectations in relation to the establishment of a new roadmap for 2024-2030 for the development of the agricultural industry? What should this new roadmap focus on?
ES: There are many strategic axes, pillars with which we work. One of these most important areas is the continued development of human resources. We are working to emphasize this aspect. It is important to make locally produced products more competitive than imports.
The Moroccan market is very open. Both in Morocco and internationally, we face tough competition. Qualified human resources and investments in production capacity for competitiveness, driven by innovation and research and development for new products and reducing costs, will help us meet all these challenges.
Challenge : Currently, the processing rate of agricultural products barely reaches 20%, and it is expected to rise to 70% by 2030 as part of the Generation Green strategy. Is the current industrial fabric ready? What measures should be taken to reach the 70% hoped for by 2030?
ES: This is exactly the industrial goal. It is our role as industrialists to increase the share of agricultural product processing. 70% is an ambitious target towards which we are all working to reach this rate. In addition to the current capacity, the establishment of new industrial units and the expansion of existing ones should help to achieve this goal.
However, in order to achieve these transformation goals, the satisfaction of certain prerequisites is required, including in particular the strengthening of the competitiveness of our products, the promotion of “made in Morocco”, the improvement and organization of marketing circles, the consolidation of our historical markets and prospecting. of new international markets, among other things.
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Challenge : Often comparative advantages also dictate the orientation towards local production or rather the external market, as is the case for oranges, industrial tomatoes, almonds, etc. What do you think?
ES: Absolutely! Local processing concerns all of our agricultural production. You talked regarding tomatoes, oranges, almonds, etc., all Moroccan agricultural production would benefit from being processed locally before being exported. And it is the role of the agricultural industry in Morocco and our federation to support its members in upgrading and capturing this transformation locally by helping local investors and attracting foreign investors to this sector.
Challenge : FENAGRI conducted a study on local procurement opportunities for manufactured raw materials, which revealed that Moroccan agricultural industries spend the equivalent of 10 billion DH of imported manufactured raw materials annually. Why is this source of opportunity to replace these imports not being exploited?
ES: It has not yet been utilized. It is becoming. It must be said that this study was carried out above all to find the possibilities. This is to encourage investors to take hold of these. Moreover, this study was carried out in a more global framework with the Ministry of Trade and Industry. This made it possible to identify processed products imported for substitution projects. Since then, this has been a source of opportunities to replace these imports or at least parts of them in the form of new investment projects at the local level, which will strengthen the local integration of this sector and also its competitiveness, without forgetting the impact. regarding job creation.
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Challenge : According to the ministry, around 400 industrial investment projects in the agricultural industry have been identified within the framework of the project bank to benefit from investment support through the mechanisms provided under the industrial recovery plan, with an estimated investment amount of more than 10.25 billion DH. How do Moroccan operators and investors see these opportunities?
ES: I would like to point out that these are real industrial investment opportunities. The state has implemented a number of important measures to promote investment within the framework of the Agricultural Development Fund and the Industrial Development and Investment Fund, or via the Moroccan Agency for the Development of Investments and Exports (AMDIE). This will enable the establishment of new industrial units and the expansion of existing ones. It is therefore obvious that these mechanisms encourage Moroccan investors who have priority, but also foreign investors who are welcome. Why not approach them to invest in Morocco and have this local production capacity, instead of importing processed products.
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