Rabat – Morocco donated 25,000 tonnes of fertilizer to smallholder farmers in Senegal on Thursday, October 21.
Morocco’s phosphate and fertilizer giant OCP Group handed the donation to the Senegalese Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday in Diamniadio, 30 kilometers from Senegal’s capital Dakar.
The donation is part of a royal instruction that aims to support Senegal’s efforts to battle food insecurity.
It includes 10,000 tonnes of di-ammonium phosphate, 5,000 tonnes of triple super phosphate, and 10,000 tonnes of fertilizer which will be sold at reduced prices for small Senegalese producers.
Morocco’s Ambassador to Senegal Hassan Naciri attended the donation ceremony along with Senegalese Minister of Agriculture Aly Ngouille Ndiaye and the Director of the OCP subsidiary in West Africa Mohammed Benzekri.
Naciri said that the fraternal donation reflects the “close ties of blood, spirituality, solidarity, and deep conviction of the uniqueness of our destiny and our common future.”
The Moroccan diplomat emphasized that Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has made food security a “strategic priority” for the North African country and for Africa.
“The sovereign remains faithful to the choices and guiding principles that underpin his vision of a united world and collective action to overcome challenges facing humanity and particularly our African content,” the ambassador said.
The Senegalese agriculture minister expressed gratitude for Morocco, paying tribute to King Mohammed VI for his “actions and solidarity initiatives, particularly in this difficult situation, indicating that this donation is part of the fraternal relationship that exists between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Senegal.”
Ndiaye said that the brotherly relationship was reflected in the close cooperation between the Senegal Ministry of Agriculture and OCP through conventions.
The donation follows similar initiatives taken by the OCP Group. In July, the phosphate giant donated 15,000 tonnes of di-ammonium phosphate fertilizer to Rwanda.
As part of its commitment to boost regional food security, the group announced this year a contribution of 550,000 tonnes of donated and discounted fertilizer to help smallholder farmers in 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
