OCP will provide the farmers and cooperatives with high-quality quinoa seeds for the 2019-2020 agricultural season.
Rabat – Morocco’s OCP Group has announced its support for three agricultural cooperatives and 100 farmers in the provinces of Youssoufia and Rehamna in the Marrakech-Safi region.
OCP said on Monday it will provide the cooperatives and farmers with “high-quality quinoa seeds” intended for 150 hectares during the 2019-2020 agricultural season.
The support comes as part of the phosphate and fertilizer producer’s Act for Community program.
The group said its Act for Community program continues to facilitate the access of quinoa to commercial spaces of OCP in Youssoufia and Benguerir, near Marrakech, to support agricultural cooperatives in overcoming the economic and financial crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
OCP said farmers in the region were able to harvest 35 tonnes of high-quality quinoa despite the drought conditions that seriously affect agricultural production during this season. The group emphasized that the production is a “significant portion.”
The group’s Act for Community program seeks to develop the quinoa sector as an “alternative crop” resilient in the face of climate change.
The quinoa production sector generates jobs and wealth for agriculture organizations, farmers, and young people in rural areas in the provinces of Youssoufia and Rehamna.
The program also aims to establish an integrated system for the quinoa production sector by implementing a series of initiatives concerning scientific research, experimentation in the fields, and the exploration of new markets.
OCP’s program also supports agricultural organizations and farmers by enabling them to access the techniques and means of quinoa production, the promotion of the product through processing techniques, and the development of commercial brands.
Low rainfall this past agricultural season urged the government to announce financial aid for farmers in drought-affected regions such as Rehamna.
In May, Morocco’s Mutual Moroccan Agricultural Insurance Company (MAMDA) allocated MAD 200 million ($20.2 million) in favor of farmers affected by drought in the Rehamna region.
