Morocco's Strategic Agricultural Initiative in the Sahara
The Moroccan government is setting its sights on significantly enhancing its agricultural footprint in the Sahara Desert, specifically through a bold initiative aimed at acquiring over 1,100 hectares of land for commercial horticulture. This ambitious project, spearheaded by the Moroccan Agency for Agricultural Development (ADA), is designed to attract private investors and is particularly focused on the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region, an area rich in potential yet still underdeveloped. The new agricultural venture is set to benefit from a state-of-the-art desalination plant, which will provide essential irrigation to these arid lands, thereby transforming them into productive agricultural fields.
Public-Private Partnerships to Drive Growth
The ADA has recently issued a call for interested investors, both local and foreign, to partake in a public-private partnership (PPP) model that will facilitate the development of approximately thirty agricultural projects. This initiative is not only economically significant but also strategically important, given its location in a historically contentious area that Morocco claims as its territory while being contested by the Polisario Front. The agricultural projects will range in size and scope, with plans for small, medium, and large-scale cultivation operations that will ultimately cover a vast area, all under the oversight of the Moroccan government.
Investors who engage in this opportunity will enter into long-term lease agreements that span between 25 to 40 years, depending on the scale and requirements of their projects. These agreements stipulate that the lease payments will increase by 10% every five years once the irrigation systems are operational, ensuring a sustainable economic model for both the investors and the Moroccan government. This plan not only aims to boost local agricultural production but is also poised to increase Morocco's role as a key supplier of fruits and vegetables to European markets, further heightening tensions with Spanish agricultural producers who have long voiced concerns over competition from Moroccan goods.
Morocco's initiative is part of a broader strategy, known as 'Génération Green 2020-2030', which seeks to enhance the agricultural sector's contribution to the national GDP and improve export capacities. As the country enhances its agricultural infrastructure, it positions itself as a vital player in the global food supply chain, particularly as European nations increasingly rely on Moroccan produce. This development marks a significant step in Morocco's ongoing efforts to assert its economic influence in the region, while also navigating the complex geopolitical landscape of the Sahara.
As reported by xataka.com.
