Doha-the French President Emmanuel Macron declared himself “very happy and very proud” to welcome Morocco as a guest of honor on the International Agriculture Show (SIA), which was opened in Paris on Saturday, and marked in the 61-year history of the exhibition A historical first.
“We are very happy and very proud to have Morocco as a guest of honor at SIA where it is present with a great stand”, Macron ” alleged In a press release before the show opened together with the Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.
The French President pointed out that this decision will follow his youngest State visit In the North African country at the invitation of King Mohammed VI. “It is a great pride for our agricultural show and our farmers to have this very strong partnership,” articulated Macron.
On his part Akhannouch, who inaugurated The Moroccan pavilion alongside Macron, the French Minister of Europe and external affairs Jean-Noël-Kartrot, Moroccan Minister of Agriculture Ahmed El Bouari and Morocco’s ambassador in Paris Samira Sitail expressed his satisfaction with the honorary status of Morocco.
French political personalities also participated in the ceremony, including the Vice President of the National Assembly, Naïma Moutchou, the France-Morocco friendship group President of the Senate Christian Cambon, and Senator Hervé Marseille as well as several members of the Moroccan community.
“We are happy that Morocco is Guest of honor for this edition. Thanks to the leadership of his majesty king Mohammed VI and the will of French President Emmanuel Macron, this consecrated a whole strategic partnership work between the Kingdom of Morocco and France, ”he announced.
The Moroccan district manager revealed that they decided to present regional products with the participation of women’s cooperatives and to say that “this gives the image of diversity and wealth of agricultural products in our country.”
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The French media treated this unprecedented partnership extensively and at the same time projected their different effects. France 24 revealed The fact that this event occurs in the middle of the warming of diplomatic and economic relationships between Rabat and Paris after a time of tensions that are characterized by the Pegasus scandal and the visa restrictions in 2021.
The news agency made it clear that France delivered over 50% of soft wheat imports in Morocco in 2023, with Philippe Heusele, President of the International Relations Committee from Intercéréales to celebrate it. “
The media highlighted the strategic position of Morocco, especially as the owner of the second largest world in the world phosphate Reserves, a crucial component in fertilizer production, with France 24 noticing the EU as one of the main buyers of this essential agricultural resource.
BFM TV represent Detailed trade statistics show that agricultural products made around 9% of French exports to Morocco (approx. EUR 610 million) and almost 19% of French imports from Morocco (around 1 billion euros).
The outlet pointed out that Morocco exported 400,000 tons of tomatoes to France in 2023, which corresponds to 75% of all French tomato imports, a number that has increased by 139% for over two decades, while Spanish imports were 57%.
Apart from tomatoes, Morocco exported 45,000 tons of peppers to France in 2023 and marked a dramatic 1,040% increase over two decades. In addition, the news source showed that Moroccan fresh fruit imports reached 180,000 tons in 2023, with water melons 69% of the volumes and melons made up for 22%.
Europe 1 broadcast Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard’s statements, who announced that “our two agriculture had to learn a lot from each other. In particular, French agriculture, which is gradually confronted with a climate that our Moroccan friends have learned for centuries, can benefit sensibly from their specialist knowledge, especially in quantitative water management. “
Sandrine Dury from the Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development Research for the Partnership and states that “Morocco has a selection of experience from which we can benefit from both technical and social and political aspects. in herd management.
However, some concerns were also expressed. France 24 mentioned that certain elected officers and farmers have driven what they perceive as an unfair competition.
The outlet quoted Claude Girot from the farmers who proposed that “labor costs in France are ten times higher, and workers – often women – are sometimes exploited for this harvest in Morocco without just receiving an employment contract.”
The media also dealt with regulatory concerns, whereby France 24 reported that the Republican deputy Antoine-Morel Marques for “stricter regulations with financial punishments for importers” were used in relation to products that do not meet European sanitary standards.
In the outlet, his claim stated that “this is not a measure against Morocco. But we need more controls. This is about defending our public health and the work of our farmers. “
The 61st edition of the International Agriculture Show in Paris, organized under the topic “A French Pride”, will welcome more than 600,000 visitors. The exhibition comprises 4,000 animals and 1,000 exhibitors, which spread to 16 hectares with 9 pavilions.
The 476 square meter pavilion curates in the heart of the exhibition in the Paris exhibition Palace, which designated Moroccan regional products from cooperatives with centuries-based specialist knowledge.
The National Pavilion also offers cultural and artistic performances as well as tastings of Moroccan products and dishes that offer visitors a comprehensive exhibition of agricultural authenticity and specificity of Morocco.
Read too: The French television report speaks controversy about Moroccan fertilizer as a Rabat-Paris
