US Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley will lead the trade mission to Morocco.
THE United States is sending a trade mission to Morocco and western Africa next month with the aim of boosting exports.
Representatives from nearly 50 US agribusinesses and trade groups and 14 state departments of agriculture will travel to Casablanca, Morocco, on the three-day visit from December 2-5.
Morocco is already the second-largest export market for American agricultural produce in Africa, but the mission orgainsed by the US Department of Agriculture hopes to expand the sale of farm and food exports in the region.
“This mission offers a crucial opportunity for US agribusinesses to enter into Morocco’s dynamic market and leverage its strategic position for wider African access,” said Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley, who will lead the mission.
“We are dedicated to facilitating these vital connections and expanding US agricultural exports.”
US sales of farm and food products to Morocco topped $619 million last year, representing 16 per cent of the continent’s market share. American agricultural exports to Morocco have doubled since the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2006.
Morocco offers a stable market and growing economy and serves as a key distribution hub for the African continent. The country is already a major importer of bulk and intermediate commodities from the United States and its expanding food processing sector and rising consumer demand are creating new potential for sales of consumer-oriented products.
US exporters have opportunities in numerous sectors, including beef, dairy, feed grains, live animals and genetics, rice, seafood, seed potatoes, soybeans and tree nuts.
Throughout the mission, US company representatives will engage in business-to-business meetings with potential buyers from Morocco and other west African countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Senegal.
Morocco also recently hosted a delegation from Saudi Arabia – but with a very different goal in mind.
Last month, Reef Saudi launched an international training initiative to enhance Saudi farmers’ skills, introduce them to modern farming techniques, and promote sustainable practices to improve productivity.
The sustainable agricultural rural development programme Reef Saudi sent a group of farmers on a knowledge gathering mission to Morocco recently.
The delegation visited the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, which collaborates with local and global institutions to boost agricultural production, enhance food security, and support farmers in addressing climate challenges.
Officials briefed the delegation on key departments, including crop disease management, seed inspection and testing, entomology, pest control, and the seed bank, which preserves seed diversity for research and biodiversity conservation.
The delegation also toured the National Office of Agricultural Consulting, a public institution that provides extension services to Moroccan farmers, promotes modern agricultural technologies, and supports sustainable farming to advance rural development.
Additionally, they visited the National School of Agriculture, a leading institution specialising in agricultural sciences and training engineers to drive progress in Morocco’s farming sector. The delegation explored other institutions and gained insights into innovative practices.