Morocco outlines support strategies for dairy sector amid drought challenges

MOROCCO– Mohammed Sadiki, Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture, led a discussion focusing on the red meat and dairy industries amidst the country’s persistent drought challenges and emphasized the urgent need to bolster these sectors to ensure food sovereignty.

During the meetings, stakeholders, including the President of the Supervisory Board of Crédit Agricole du Maroc, industry professionals, representatives from regional agricultural chambers, and senior ministry officials, reached a consensus on various strategies to maintain progress.

Key measures discussed included ongoing support for livestock feed, importing animal feed, and developing new livestock regulations.

In a statement to MAP, Sadiki highlighted the importance of collaborating with federations and professional associations to evaluate and analyze the current state of these sectors.

He stressed the need to ensure a consistent supply of red meat and dairy products in the national market and to facilitate the importation of essential raw materials.

Discussions also covered the development of resilient forage crops such as sorghum, artificial insemination regulation, and seed importation and sales enhancement.

Additionally, there was a focus on increasing the production of high-yield mixed breeds and protecting female livestock to ensure future productivity.

Rachid El Khattate, President of the Dairy Sector Interprofessional Federation (Maroc Lait), reiterated the federation’s commitment to actively collecting milk from all sector participants to ensure an adequate supply.

“This is crucial in a country where more than 400,000 farmers are involved in some form of milk production, though only about 40,000 farms are considered semi-professional.”

Morocco’s dairy sector produces approximately 2.5 million tons of milk annually, with around 1.8 million cows.

The formal milk processing industry collects 60-70% of this production, while the remainder is used for home consumption or informal trade. The country is 94% self-sufficient in milk, with exports varying around 6%.

The processing industry, dominated by companies like Danone, relies on dairy cooperatives to collect and deliver milk.

However, issues such as milk quality and composition remain challenges, as payment systems do not adequately incentivize individual farmers.

Despite dairy companies’ provision of extension services, often in cooperation with donor organizations and NGOs, further improvements are needed.

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