The International Soft Fruit Festival in Morocco, organized by the Moroccan Interprofessional Federation of Soft Fruits (Interproberries - Maroc), with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, among other institutions, was held from June 7 to 11 in Kenitra. According to Amine Bennani, a member of the federation, the event was an opportunity to address development issues in the sector, with a particular focus on plants.
Bennani said: "This is the fourth edition of the festival, after an forced suspension in the context of the Covid19 pandemic. The festival welcomes international participants, yet with a local vision to address the issues facing the industry in Morocco. It is, therefore, a forum for Moroccan stakeholders and their international counterparts, rather than a trade show."
The growers' representative continues: "This year, plants were the focus of our interest at the festival. Morocco is a producer and exporter of soft fruit plants, with over 40 million plants exported mainly to France and England. However, we are aware of the lack of integration between nurseries and growers, and of other technical concerns, particularly in the face of climatic disturbances affecting the whole world and requiring nurseries to adapt their plants, especially strawberries".
Left: Mohammed Sadiki, Moroccan minister of Agriculture. Right: Amine Bennani, president of the Moroccan Association of Soft Fruit Producers
According to Bennani, "The festival provided an excellent opportunity to address these issues, with the participation of relevant participants, national and international, private and public. Spain was the guest of honor, given that Spanish nurseries are the leading exporters to Morocco. The festival also saw the participation of nurseries from several African countries, notably Egypt, as well as ONSA (Moroccan authority for food security), a major actor when it comes to plants."
"Our aim is above all to raise awareness among growers and encourage Moroccan nurseries, as well as the installation of international nurseries in Morocco. In this regard, the quality of the debates and the solutions proposed, as well as the attractiveness of Morocco expressed by nurseries, give me every reason to believe in the success of the event."
Bennani concludes: "The International Festival of Red Fruits will remain a major event in the industry's calendar, and we are working with all the event's partners to increase its regularity and attractiveness".
For more information:
Bennani Amine
Moroccan Association of Soft Fruit Producers / Moroccan Interprofessional Federation of Soft Fruits (Interproberries - Morocco)
Tel: +212661243424
Email: phytoloukkos@gmail.com