The FINANCIAL — Morocco’s long-term agricultural vision is to double the value-added of the sector and create 1.5 million jobs by 2020.
The Plan Maroc Vert is the country’s core agricultural strategy to bring better opportunities to small and large-scale farmers by transforming the agri-food sector into a stable source of growth, competitiveness, and broad-based economic development in rural areas.
The World Bank said, it has supported the Plan Maroc Vert since its inception in 2008 and today approved a US$203 million Development Policy Loan to further contribute to the modernization of the agricultural sector. Today’s loan is the second in a series following the first approved in March 2011. The series supports key reforms envisaged in the national Plan to strengthen domestic markets, help small farmers, enhance agricultural services, and improve the delivery of irrigation water.
One example of an outcome of the first loan is that small farmers have now transparent procedures in place to access public grants for agriculture diversification, intensification, and commercialization. Presently, 5.6 billion MAD (US$680 million) have been allocated to more than 200,000 small farmers throughout Morocco.
“The Plan Maroc Vert is a comprehensive program which addresses key challenges such as food security and Morocco’s integration into the global economy,” said Simon Gray, World Bank Maghreb Country Director. “Developing a liberalized and diversified market environment will boost the performance of the agri-food sector and contribute to reducing rural poverty.”
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