ANOC President to Express TV: Our Target is an Electoral Showcase… The Association Operates Under Strict Supervision
In his first official response to accusations from Rashid Hammouni, head of the Progressive and Socialist Group in the House of Representatives, Abdul Rahman Al-Majdoubi, President of the National Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders (ANOC), granted exclusive statements to “Express TV,” categorically denying what he described as “false claims with no factual basis.”
The association’s president accused Hammouni of being “driven by certain parties and engaging in early electoral showcases by exploiting fictitious issues unrelated to field realities.”
He emphasized that the association has achieved tangible field results in improving livestock breeds, noting that over 16,000 members benefit from its programs. He stressed that the association monitors the health status of livestock and continues its work according to established scientific and legal standards.
The association’s response came after Hammouni accused it under the parliament dome of inflating national herd figures and providing inaccurate data, alleging that it seeks to benefit from public funding allocated by the Ministry of Agriculture—accusations labeled by the association as “false and politically motivated.”
Hammouni also mentioned a number of farmers from the Tamhdit region being expelled after criticizing delays in seasonal support payments for 2023 and 2024, accusing the association of issuing threatening statements against dissenting members, arguing that such practices reflect imbalances in governance and transparency.
However, the association’s president denied any intention to exclude members, affirming that decisions made by the association are governed by internal regulations and that “the political agendas of some politicians will not affect the association’s course or its commitment to its members.”
Regarding livestock counting, the president stressed that the association is not the official body responsible for general statistics but is limited to organizing its members, improving breeds, and monitoring the health status of livestock.
On financial governance, the association’s president reminded that a general assembly meeting was held on Saturday, July 12, where both financial and technical reports were unanimously approved. He added that the association’s accounts are audited annually by an independent auditor, in addition to oversight by the Court of Auditors and other regulatory bodies.
Agriculture Minister Ahmed Bouari also defended the association, clarifying in parliament that the Ministry of Agriculture maintains institutional relationships under legal provisions with ANOC, and that the association has been recognized as a public utility entity since 1988. Since 2000, it has been entrusted with managing the genealogical records of sheep and goat breeds.
The association reiterated its commitment to continue working alongside its members and agricultural sector partners, calling for restraint from what it termed “political opportunism that does not serve the interests of farmers or positively impact the sector.”
