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The Technical Center for Oilseeds in Meknes Supports Local Production and Enhances Food Sovereignty
On January 8, 2026, the agricultural pole in Meknes officially launched the project for the Technical Center for Oilseeds, a joint initiative between the Professional Federation of Oilseed Plants, Agropole, and Avril Group. This project aims to provide sustainable technical and organizational solutions for producers of canola and sunflower in the Fes-Meknes region, based on the specifics of the local ecosystem and its geographical characteristics.
The center relies on a comprehensive mobilization of various stakeholders in the value chain, where the oilseed manufacturers’ association in Morocco, including companies like Lesieur Cristal and Huile Souss Belhassan, plays a pivotal role in the transformation stages. These partners contribute to providing technical guidance for producers, offering training and awareness programs, along with operational support to accelerate the development of local production.
This initiative arises in a national context characterized by significant dependence on imports, as domestic coverage of raw oilseed materials does not exceed 2%, making the structuring of local production and enhancing the competitiveness of agricultural exploitations essential for establishing long-term food sovereignty.
Mohamed El Baraka, president of the Professional Federation of Oilseed Plants, emphasized that the center serves as “a strategic lever to closely support farmers by providing personalized assistance and practical solutions that meet their real needs, reflecting our collective ambition to create a more efficient, robust, and resilient oilseed agricultural sector.”
The center focuses on two main pillars: conducting agricultural trials to identify optimal technical pathways and producing reference data to demonstrate the agricultural viability of oilseeds, and establishing a network of intermediaries between the center and farmers to ensure the transfer of research results and enhance agricultural guidance and field services.
Additionally, the center aims to be a national platform for innovation and experimentation, contributing to the improvement of seed supply suited to climatic conditions and executing applied studies, including researching the value addition of canola husks in livestock raising. Partners assert that structuring the value chain and connecting it with farms ensures improved productivity and resilience of the sector against climatic and economic changes.
Augustin David, president of Agropole, indicated that “the French experience has proven that specialized technical centers for oilseeds serve as a structural lever for farms by providing precise agricultural references and interactive technical guidance compatible with local realities.”
The launch day saw the participation of around one hundred representatives from various concerned institutions, including the regional agriculture directorate, the Agricultural Development Agency, the National Office for Agricultural Advice, the National Institute for Agricultural Research, and the Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture and Rural Development, in addition to industrial stakeholders and researchers. Activities included a roundtable discussion on “Proximity Agricultural Services: Challenges and Opportunities in Production Chains,” focusing on improving the quality of guidance and ensuring continuous support for farms.
Two workshops were also organized to classify active structures in agricultural guidance and support services, monitoring their integration into the value chain, analyzing farm structures, and identifying their needs. The results from these workshops will serve as a basis for launching complementary field studies in the coming months.
Stéphane Earle, secretary-general of the Avril Group, confirmed that the center represents “a practical and tangible response to the challenges in the sector regarding improving productivity, securing supply chains, and assisting farmers towards a resilient and environmentally sustainable agricultural transition.”
By adopting this comprehensive approach, the Technical Center for Oilseeds in Meknes marks a pioneering step towards enhancing local production, ensuring the sustainability of the agricultural chain, and strengthening Morocco’s food sovereignty in the oilseed sector.
