Morocco granted 5,000 tonnes of fertilizer to Mauritanian farmers. The donation, which took place on Friday, is part of OCP’s program to support African farmers as the continent faces a food security crisis.
The fertilizers granted will benefit smallholder farmers who represent the majority of food producers in Mauritania. Through its subsidiary OCP Africa, the OCP Group aims to support African farmers and contribute to ensuring food security in Africa.
OCP Africa’s Managing Director, Anouar Jamali, commented on the donation, noting that Mauritania has been identified as the main beneficiary of the program, which serves more than four million farmers across Africa.
The program serves 50,000 Mauritanian farmers and aims to help strengthen cooperation between Morocco and its southern neighbour, Jamali said, noting that the OCP scheme will also include training and awareness raising on best agricultural practices. in sustainable fertilization, supply chain, as well as access to finance and markets.
The first phase of the OCP program launched under the instructions of King Mohammed VI, is to contribute to a sustainable transition of agricultural systems on the continent. It is also part of OCP’s investments over the past 10 years in Africa-focused research and development in collaboration with agronomic institutes and research universities across the continent.
The Mauritanian Minister of Agriculture, Yahia Ould Ahmed El Waghf, welcomed the initiative, stressing that this donation is part of the “efforts made by the two countries to strengthen their bilateral cooperation”. The Mauritanian official also welcomed Morocco’s support for his country’s agricultural sector through the distribution of fertilizers and seeds.
OCP has already made several similar donations, benefiting thousands of farmers across the continent. One of the recent initiatives took place in October, when Morocco donated 25,0000 tonnes of fertilizer to smallholder farmers in Senegal.