Agriculture fair opens in drought-hit Morocco with focus on sustainability, special guest Spain

(27 Apr 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Meknes, Morocco - 26 April 2024
1. Pan of fruits and vegetables on display
2. Mid of tomatoes and herbs being shown as part of Morocco’s Oriental region stand
3. Close of cherry tomatoes
4. Visitors checking fruits
5. Wide of Head of service of the Regional Office for Agricultural Investment in the city of Berkane Cherif Tizaoui chatting with other participants
6. Tilt down of Morocco’s Oriental region stand
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Cherif Tizaoui, Service Chief at the Regional Office for Agricultural Investment in Berkane:
"Successive years of drought prompted the Ministry of Agriculture to implement a set of programs and strategies that were implemented at the regional level, at the level of our office, the Regional Office for Agricultural Investment in Moulouya. It was implemented even at the level of the irrigation networks and also the main canals that supply the region with irrigation water and drinking water as well."
8. Pan of a stand of Morocco's Souss region
9. Close of various varieties of tomatoes
10. Pan of vegetables
11. Close of cantaloupe
12. Pan of oranges and bell pepper
13. Pan of Service Chief in Souss region Hassan Aassassa speaking with other participants
14. Mid of vegetables in baskets
15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hassan Aassassa, Economic Service Chief in Souss region:
"75% of Morocco’s exports of vegetables and fruits are from our region (the Souss region), especially tomatoes. The region produces different types of tomatoes, mostly to be exported and partly to be sold on the internal market. Our products are known to be of high quality and supply the European market."
16. Pan of bulls
17. Mid of the biggest bull
18. Wide of bulls
19. Various of sheep
20. Wide of farmer from the Moroccan city of Essaouira Omar Boukbir with livestock
21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Omar Boukbir, farmer:
"There is a severe drought this year, which led to a rise in the cost of fodder and a decrease in the production of livestock, such as sheep and goats, which did not reproduce as before. The farmers sacrificed many precious things to achieve this result and to display the product in this exhibition or in the markets in general."
22. Various of Spain’s stand showcasing irrigation materials
23. Tilt down of Italy’s stand
24. Various of Ivory Coast’s stand
25. Wide of entrance
26. SOUNDBITE (French) Pablo Mon Dragon, Representative of an irrigation equipment company in Valencia in Spain:
"SIAM is really an extremely strategic exhibition, because the Moroccan market is a very good market for us and we have very good ties with this market which keep getting better. We sell a lot and it is a very interesting opportunity for us."
27. Various of the venue exterior
STORYLINE:
Drought-hit Morocco has been hosting an international agriculture fair in the city of Meknes this week (SIAM), focusing on climate resilience and sustainability.
Some 70 countries and 1,500 exhibitions took part in the 16th edition of the expo, with some 800,000 expected visitors.
More than 10 large tents displayed various agricultural products and services, including vegetables, fruits, fertilizers, irrigation mechanisms, from various regions of Morocco, as well as abroad.
The exhibition provides a valuable opportunity for participants to engage in conversations, exchange ideas and experiences, as well as finding new markets.
This event in Morocco coincides with the country reeling from the detrimental impact of drought on its agriculture sector.
This year it welcomed Spain as special guest of honor.
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