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State Land Management Partnership Injects 15.4 Billion Dirhams and Creates 45,000 Jobs in the Agricultural Sector
Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests Minister Ahmed Bouari confirmed that the partnership between the state and the companies Sodea and Sougit to manage state lands through long-term leasing has enabled an investment of approximately 15.4 billion dirhams, with an achievement rate of 85% of contractual commitments.
In a written response to a parliamentary question, Bouari explained that the involved lands fall under the state’s private domain and have been mobilized in partnership with the private sector, based on the principle of long-term leasing rather than transfer of ownership, for periods ranging from 17 to 40 years. This arrangement is aimed at benefiting investors committed to establishing agricultural projects according to precise specifications and criteria related to the investor’s capabilities, project complementarity, investment value, and expected job creation.
The total area mobilized under this partnership has reached 120,529 hectares distributed over 1,776 projects, including 800 small projects with an area of less than 10 hectares in uncultivated lands and 5 hectares in irrigated areas, covering nearly 2,624 hectares, with expected total investments of up to 24.24 billion dirhams. This has the potential to create more than 73,000 jobs.
Regarding achievements, investments have included equipping 44,700 hectares with drip irrigation systems, the construction of 677 water storage basins with a total capacity of 25 million cubic meters, and the acquisition and equipping of farms with around 6,000 units of agricultural equipment and machinery, including 1,575 tractors, 2,200 seeding machines, and 1,360 pesticide spraying machines.
The projects also involved the planting of 46,000 hectares of fruit trees, predominantly citrus, olives, and grapes, the establishment of 1,926 hectares of greenhouses, the acquisition of 34,000 heads of livestock, the construction of 213 modern stables, in addition to the creation of 135 poultry breeding units.
In terms of product valorization, 132 modern units have been established, comprising 45 packing units, 31 olive oil pressing units, and 23 cold storage units.
From the employment perspective, approximately 45,000 jobs have been created, including 860 engineers, 1,900 technicians, 8,490 permanent workers, in addition to 33,710 seasonal workers.
Regarding projects facing difficulties due to technical constraints, such as water resource scarcity or market fluctuations, the minister noted that the Agricultural Development Agency oversees the coordination and follow-up of regional committees that conduct regular site visits to monitor project progress and support investors. A total of 126 follow-up missions were executed in 2025.
The government official confirmed that warnings are directed at non-compliant investors, and if breaches of commitments persist without acceptable justifications, partnership agreements are terminated, lands are re-mobilized, and new calls for offers are launched, indicating that the area re-mobilized after the termination of certain agreements reached about 2,000 hectares.
