Brussels, 20/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - In Rabat on 17 December, the EU and Morocco signed a three-year agreement worth €70 million to finance the assistance programme of the agricultural sectoral policy. This will focus on the solidarity-based agriculture sector, which is supported by the second pillar of the Moroccan Green Plan, says the EU delegation to Morocco. Among its objectives is the gradual upgrading of the red meat, date palm, olive and other local produce (mainly truffles) industries. This will help increase production, improve farmers' income, create job opportunities, promote the quality of processed products and lessen the environmental impact.
This new programme will support the implementation of the Moroccan Green Plan, an initiative which seeks to help rural areas. Since 1976, the EU will have provided a total of €700 million to support Moroccan agriculture. The solidarity-based agriculture sector includes 800,000 farmers, and indirectly some 3 million country dwellers, and covers 10% of the usable agricultural land, the EU delegation says. EU Ambassador to Morocco Eneko Landaburu pointed out that agriculture remains “at the heart of relations with Morocco. Bringing new life to the agriculture sectors for the benefit of small-scale farmers in the most disadvantaged and most environmentally fragile areas will help mitigate the socio-economic impact of the liberalisation of trade in agricultural goods”. (F.B./.transl.rt)