![Spanish Representatives Oppose Morocco’s Joint Bid with Spain and Portugal Spain’ Prime Minister proposed a trio bid with Morocco and Portugal to host the 2030 World Cup; but the idea does not appear to be popular with Spanish politicians. The representatives of two Spanish political parties, the People’s Party and the Citizens-Party, have said they do not want Spain to submit a joint candidacy with Portugal and Morocco for the 2030 World Cup. In a meeting organized by the National Federation of Sports Facilities Entrepreneurs (FNEID) in Madrid, the People’s party representative, Vicente Azpitarte dismissively spoke about Spain joining a trio with Morocco and Portugal to organize the World Cup. Azpitarte specifically wondered whether Spain would get any advantages from teaming up with the two countries, t Spanish news outlet Iusport reported on Wednesday. The Citizens-Party representative, Roberto Nunez, agreed with Azpitarte. “We do not intend to organize a World Cup with other countries. Spain has more than enough capacity [to organize the World Cup], it is a country that has already organized a World Cup, and we do not understand that proposal,” Nunez said. The adviser of United Podemos, Oscar Penas, stated that he does not clearly see why “the priority is to organize a World Cup or an Olympiad at this time.” Morocco and Spain cooperate on a number of issues, ranging from security and migration to trade and education. On November 18, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, arrived in Morocco for a first visit since his election to premiership. During his visit, Sanchez proposed to both Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani and King Mohammed VI a joint bid for the 2030 World Cup. “We are launching a joint message, which is that this will be a bid between two continents. The King of Morocco is receptive and we’re going to work on it with Portugal. We are very excited about it,” Sanchez said.](https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ABL-Launches-in-Casablanca-Becoming-Africa’s-First-Aircraft-Leaser-180x135.jpeg "ABL Launches in Casablanca, Becoming Africa’s First Aircraft Leaser")
With its African fertilizer production unit, Africa Fertilizer Complex, Morocco’s OCP has set ambitious goals to corner 40 percent of the world’s fertilizer market by 2028.
Rabat – Morocco’s OCP Group has plans to triple its production of fertilizer for other African countries.
OCP created an African fertilizer production unit, the“Africa Fertilizer Complex,” to extend its activities beyond Morocco, said Abderrahmane Igourzal, the general manager at OCP’s site in Jorf Lasfar, 120 kilometers south of Casablanca, the Senegalese News Agency (APS) reported.
Igourzal was speaking on Saturday at a press conference at the 21st Khouribga African Film Festival, in Khouribga, 110 kilometers southeast of Casablanca.
The Africa Fertilizer Complex “produces nearly one million tons [of fertilizer] a year for Africa. But since the demand is higher than supply, other facilities will be created to fill the gap so that we can produce three million tons each year” for African countries, Igourzal asserted.
The fertilizer company was launched in 2016 in the Jorf Lasfar industrial zone, employing 380 associates to help develop the continent’s agricultural sector.
The Africa Fertilizer Complex has an integrated 62-megawatt thermoelectric plant which helps reduce CO2 emission by over 70 percent, according to OCP.
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For Igourzal, the new fertilizer production unit does not have only commercial purposes. “The OCP considers that it has the responsibility to share its wealth … for the good of humanity, to help feed the planet” through distributing its fertilizer.
Fertilizer is ”essential for boosting agricultural productivity.”
According to Igourzal, OCP Group “holds 75 percent of the world’s phosphate reserves. The OCP’s current reserves are so large that it would take 700 years to use them up.”
Igourzal continued, “For phosphate, we have almost 50 percent of the world’s market share. For phosphoric acid, we have 47 percent of the market share.”
The general manager added that the company produces an estimated 22 percent of the world’s fertilizer by volume.
OCP Group is one of the leading exporters and producers of raw phosphate, phosphate-based fertilizers, and phosphoric acid in the world. The company develops precision agriculture techniques to help farmers improve the quality and yield of their crops.
The Moroccan company, according to Igourzal, wants to increase its share of the global fertilizer market from 22 to 40 percent by 2028.
