By Loubna Flah
By Loubna Flah
Morocco World News
Casablanca, Jan 15, 2013
The Algerian authorities expressed their readiness to coordinate with Morocco so as to launch a joint importing operation. The initiative subscribes to a more comprehensive strategy that aims at reducing the cost of agricultural imports.
Sources close to the Moroccan daily Al Massae affirmed that the Algerian officials envisage submitting the same request to other Maghreb countries so as to initiate a large scale importing operation of wheat crops.
The General Secretary of the Union of Algerian Farmers, Mohammed Lalioui confirmed the intention of the Algerian government to import crops from Morocco and other Maghreb countries. He seized the opportunity to announce the organization of the Second Conference of the Union of Maghreb Farmers.
The Algerian official pinpointed also that Morocco and Algeria are among the largest importers of wheat crops. Indeed, Morocco imported 4 billion tons of wheat crops last year whereas Algeria imported 9 billion tons.
The conference will also elect the country that will preside the Union of Maghreb Farmers for the next five years. The state members are expected to grapple with a host of issues namely food security and the possibility to trade the surplus of agricultural output amid the Maghreb members instead of exporting it to other countries.
The state members partaking to the conference will also discuss the contingency of establishing a joint production conglomerate as well as the possibility to launch a collective importing operation in order to reduce the exorbitant cost of import fees.
Morocco and Algeria had signed a cooperation agreement in agriculture in 201 during the official visit conducted by the Moroccan minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Aziz Akhnouch.
The agreement revolves around three major axes: Scientific research, training and the protection of plant health. The agreement aims also at consolidating cooperation between Morocco and Algeria in agriculture and trade. Morocco remains one of Algeria’s largest trading partners especially in agriculture and fisheries.
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