Launch of Solidarity Agriculture Projects in the Rhâmina Region to Enhance Resilience and Rebuild Livestock
Last Tuesday, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Ahmed El Bouari, inaugurated a series of projects aimed at supporting solidarity agriculture and enhancing agricultural resilience in the Boujan area of the Rhâmina region. This initiative is part of national efforts to rebuild livestock and develop agro-forestry.
These initiatives fall under a program designed to strengthen agricultural production systems and improve living conditions for farmers. The minister, accompanied by the provincial governor Aziz Bouiniane, along with several regional and local officials and elected representatives, launched a solidarity agriculture project focused on livestock farming, with a budget of approximately 55.16 million dirhams, benefiting over 3,000 participants.
The project includes the distribution of 4,160 heads of Sardi sheep, the establishment of 21 units for sprouted barley production, the rehabilitation of pastures covering 500 hectares, and the creation of 25 water points for livestock, alongside training and support programs for breeders.
This project is part of a regional plan comprising 15 projects with a total cost exceeding 160 million dirhams, benefiting over 10,150 livestock breeders. Additionally, the minister presided over a ceremony for signing agreements concerning the distribution of agricultural and livestock equipment, as well as direct seeding machines, before overseeing the distribution of tractors and water tanks for five cooperatives, in addition to sheep and breeding equipment for four service cooperatives.
Regarding agro-forestry system development, the minister launched the first phase of a project to cultivate agroforestry over an area of 500 hectares, using companion crops that are suitable for local conditions, particularly prickly pear and capers. This initiative is part of a broader program in the Rhâmina region covering 5,000 hectares with a budget of up to 80 million dirhams, benefiting more than 1,000 small farmers.
The goal of this project is to sustainably diversify forage resources, preserve livestock, and strengthen the resilience of agricultural operations in the face of climate change.
In a press statement, Regional Agricultural Director Samira Hadrawi explained that the livestock project is part of the national program for rebuilding livestock and aims to develop the sector and enhance agricultural development dynamics in the region. She added that the regional program comprises 15 projects with a funding budget of nearly 160 million dirhams, benefiting over 10,000 farmers.
In the Marrakech-Safi region, solidarity agriculture projects are a key driver for sustainable development, with regional objectives aiming to complete 130 projects by 2030 for around 130,000 beneficiaries, with an estimated cost of 2.36 billion dirhams. In the Rhâmina region, there are currently 23 solidarity agriculture projects with a total cost approaching 480 million dirhams, benefiting approximately 19,000 participants.
