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Moroccan, Dutch Partnership in Agadir to Unveils Horticultural Center

by Radarr Africa
written by Radarr Africa

Various officials have gathered in Agadir to inaugurate a new horticultural “center of excellence” due to a partnership between Morocco and the Netherlands.

Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests Mohamed Sadiki was joined by Dutch Ambassador Jeroen Roodenburg to celebrate the new center’s opening on Saturday, December 10.

In a press release, the Dutch embassy in Rabat highlighted the “very close cooperation,” between the two kingdoms that had led to the opening of the new center in Agadir. The ceremony marks the official start of the center’s activities, which will focus on knowledge exchange to promote the “sustainable and integrated development of the horticultural sector in Morocco.”

The new center of excellence brings together the Dutch embassy, the ministry of agriculture, and actors from the private sector and Dutch research institutions. They are set to work closely with the Moroccan ministry of agriculture, the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute in Rabat, and the Agadir Horticultural Complex.

The Dutch embassy emphasized that the new center and its projects “offer great opportunities to exchange the experiences of the two countries and to strengthen the synergies and complementarities between the production sectors in Morocco and the Netherlands.”

Horticulture, the science of plant cultivation, is at an advanced stage in the Netherlands. Despite its small size (41,543 km²) relative to Morocco (710,850 km²), the north-western European country is the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter, driven by innovation and high-tech agriculture.

SOURCE: Morocco news

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Morocco, U.S. Pool Efforts against WMD Threats in North Africa
AfricaAFRICA NEWSMorroccoNorth AfricaPolitics

Morocco, U.S. Pool Efforts against WMD Threats in North Africa

by Editor
written by Editor

Morocco and the United States co-hosted the North African Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) workshop from December 6-8 in Tangier.

The workshop, the first of its kind in the region, shows the Moroccan-American partnership and commitment to countering threats from weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the region.

Over the course of three days, civilian and military leaders from ten governments reviewed WMD proliferation trends, international and domestic legal authorities related to WMD interdiction, and issues associated with detaining and inspecting cargoes carrying suspected WMD, their delivery systems, and related materials.
The workshop also featured expert briefings, a scenario-based tabletop exercise, and a visit to the Port of Tangier Med to observe a cargo inspection.

The United States and Morocco also encouraged all regional non-endorsers from Mediterranean and African countries to endorse the PSI and participate in future PSI-related events, said the U.S. State Department in a press release.
The PSI was established in 2003 to stop or impede transfers of WMD, their delivery systems, and related materials flowing to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern.

So far, 107 states have endorsed the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles. In doing so, they have committed to take effective measures to interdict WMD-related transfers consistent with national law and international obligations, adopt streamlined procedures for rapid information exchange, and strengthen relevant national and international laws and frameworks.

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African countries urged to speak out against worker abuse ahead of Qatar World Cup

by Radarr Africa
written by Radarr Africa

With just about two months before the 2022 FIFA World Cup begins in Qatar, calls have mounted for African countries to seek justice for their citizens who have worked in Qatar’s construction and tourism sectors under abusive working conditions.

The tournament which brings together some of the world’s best football talent takes place between 20 November and 18 December, while thousands of African and Asian workers in Qatar allege that they have experienced abusive practices in Qatar’s construction and tourism sectors linked to the World Cup.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, and other human rights groups have documented abuses such as wage theft, injuries, and unexplained deaths. 

One distressing story is that of Samuel Alabi Ago, a failed footballer from Ghana, who is featured in the documentary film The Workers’ World Cup directed by Adam Sobel and produced by Ramzy Haddad and Rosie Garthwaite.

Ago is back home in Ghana after developing pain from using heavy construction machinery and he, like many others, was not compensated for injuries sustained at work.

Then there’s the story of Malcolm Bidali, who upon raising concern about gross abuses in working camps, was taken into solitary confinement by Qatari state security agents on 4 May last year. 

His issues raised the alarm on gross human rights violations happening in Qatar.

Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda have the largest contingent of Africans working to make the World Cup a memorable showcase.

In a recent survey by Amnesty International, called YouGov, 93% of respondents interviewed in Kenya agreed that FIFA should provide a remedy for labour abuses behind the World Cup build-up.

The majority in 15 countries where the survey was conducted overwhelmingly want FIFA, with the help of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), to come up with a fund of at least R7.8 billion for reparations.

This figure is relatively small compared to the estimated R102 billion in profit FIFA is expected to make at the World Cup.

“Supporters don’t want a World Cup that’s indelibly tainted by human rights abuses,” said Steven Cockburn, Amnesty’s head of economic and social justice in a statement.

“The past cannot be undone, but a compensation programme is a clear and simple way that FIFA and Qatar can provide at least some measure of redress to the hundreds of thousands of workers who made this tournament possible”.

Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon, and Morocco are the African countries that will take part in the World Cup. 

Most of them have sizable numbers of people working in Qatar for the World Cup and HRW has written to their football governing bodies to publicly speak out against the abuse of workers in Qatar, but none has done so as yet.

However, in an unprecedented move, major World Cup sponsor corporations such as Adidas, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s put out statements in agreement with the HRW-backed #PayUpFIFA initiative.

Adidas was the first to openly speak out and offer its unwavering support for justice to be served.

“Although Adidas was not involved in the decision to award the World Cup to Qatar, we have been working with partners to improve the human rights situation in recent years,” stated William Anderson, Adidas vice-president of global, social and environmental affairs. 

ALSO READ: As COP27 looms, Africa receives a 10th of climate financing it needs

“We are supportive of FIFA continuing its close engagement with the advocacy community and with the Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) – the global union that represents the construction industry – to address, together with Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, all and any worker rights issues arising out of the hosting of the 2022 World Cup, including required actions for remediation and, where appropriate, due compensation for workers and their families with unresolved grievances.” 

At a press briefing on 20 September, Craig Foster, a retired Australian footballer, announced that he would donate his salary as a broadcaster at the World Cup to families of deceased workers, as well as to LGBTQIA and women’s rights groups in Qatar.

Source: News24

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BusinessEnergyMorrocco

Morocco successfully completed Its First Green Hydrogen Production system

by Radarr Africa
written by Radarr Africa

Morocco’s Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN) announced on Wednesday that it “successfully completed” the installation of its first micro-pilot green hydrogen production system.

The pilot project consists of an electrolyze with a capacity of 20kW and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. The electrolyzer used to produce carbon-free hydrogen from water will undergo tests in the upcoming days, the IRESEN specified  in a Facebook post. 

Besides producing green hydrogen that will be used to generate green ammonia, green methanol, and green fuels, the micro-pilot will train and upskill students, researchers, engineers, technicians, and managers from IRESEN, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), the National Hydrogen Commission and the Green H2 Morocco Cluster.

Incubated in the Green Energy Park of Benguerir, the project is part of the “power-to x µPilot” launched by IRESEN and UM6P. It is set to advance sustainable mobility and renewable electricity storage in Morocco, using hydrogen and fuel cells.

ALSO READ: Morocco’s Clothing Exports to European Union witnesses 33.4% in the half of 2022

In June, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reported  that Morocco is expected to have the third lowest green hydrogen production cost in 2050, ranging between roughly $0.7/ kgH2 and $1.4/kgH2. 

As Morocco continues to invest in upgrading its already largely advanced renewable energy infrastructure, numerous recent reports have confirmed the country’s potential to produce green hydrogen at a low cost to meet domestic demands and even support energy security in Europe. 

The kingdom ranked third behind China and Chile, placing it ahead of well-established players in the global energy sector such as Australia, Mexico, India, and the United States. 

In recent months, IRENA forecasts have been buttressed by Morocco’s plans to increase its installed renewable energy capacity in the energy mix as well as its efforts to secure water supply for drinking and electrolysis through seawater desalination plants.  

By 2050, Morocco is expected to produce 80% of its energy mix from renewable energies and reach net zero in line with the internationally agreed-upon deadline. 

SOURCE: Morocco News

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BusinessEconomyMorrocco

Morocco’s Clothing Exports to European Union witnesses 33.4% in the half of 2022

by Radarr Africa
written by Radarr Africa

A new report shows that Moroccan clothing exports to the European Union (EU) climbed by 33.4% in the first half of 2022, reaching 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion).

The report, published by the Euro-Mediterranean Circle of Textiles, Clothing, and Fashion Leaders (CEDITH), indicates that Morocco is now the eighth provider in this sector,  compared to the same period last year when it ranked in 7th place.  

With a 3.5% market share, adds the report, Morocco has retained its place alongside the Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPC) as the EU’s second clothing supplier, behind Turkey but ahead of Tunisia, with 1.12 billion euros ($1.13 billion) at the end of June, up 23.5%. 

Meanwhile, data showed clothing imports from the European Union increased by 37.3% totaling 43.54 billion euros ($43.71 billion) in the first half of this year. 

ALSO READ: Morocco’s Olive Oil Exports increases by 47% in 2022

In addition to the growing exports, Morocco’s average costs in the clothing industry have risen by nearly 14% in a year, ranking sixth among the EU’s top ten suppliers behind Bangladesh (+23.4%), China (+19.5%), Cambodia (14.6%), Vietnam (14.2%), and Pakistan (14.1%), the report revealed.

“All major suppliers recorded strong increases, with Bangladesh taking the lead with 59.5%,” said Jean-Francois Limantour, President of CEDITH. 

According to the CEDITH’s report, Bangladesh’s rapid growth (10.36 billion euros ($10.39 billion) in exports and a share of 23.8%) enables the South Asian country to compete directly with China, the EU’s top clothes exporter, with 11.13 billion euros ($11.16 billion) recorded at the end of June (+33.7%), or a share of 25.6%.

Meanwhile, Turkey, a steady third supplier of clothes to the EU, keeps its place in the top three — with 5.57 billion euros ($5.59 billion) (+32.5%) from the first half of 2022 and a 12.8% market share.

SOURCE: Morocco news

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EconomyFinance & ServicesMorrocco

United State Listed Morocco Among Financially Transparent Countries

by Radarr Africa
written by Radarr Africa

Morocco meets the minimum requirements for financial transparency, according to a report from the US State Department.

Released on Friday, the report assesses 141 countries in terms of financial transparency in the course of 2021, judging that only 72 countries meet the minimum requirements for financial transparency, while 69 fell short of making the list.

As the State Department defines the minimum requirements for financial transparency as a government’s commitment to disclose to the public records key budget documents the report’s findings suggest that Morocco has made notable progress on the public transparency front.

At the same time, the US report’s conclusion on Morocco’s fiscal transparency echo previous reports highlighting Morocco’s recent advances in terms of making state budget details accessible to the public. 

In a report published in March of this year, the non-profit International Budget Partnership concluded  that Morocco’s state budget is the second most transparent among Arab countries, following Jordan.

Assigning Morocco a 48 score out of 100 in fiscal transparency, the non-profit ranked Morocco as the world’s 32nd most transparent country in terms of disclosing details of state budgets to the general public.

ALSO READ: Morocco will be welcome $44 Million of a Provincial Hospital in Benguerir

Despite its advanced regional ranking, Morocco’s current budget transparency score puts the North African kingdom in the category of countries with “limited information available.”

The report further lauded Morocco’s commitment to disclosing records on gender-related expenditures, adding that the kingdom is among a short list of 14 countries with public records on gender dimension to the state budget.

Recently, the International Monetary Fund maintained that fiscal transparency is crucial to stimulate better economic governance and support efforts to address corruption. 

This means Morocco’s relatively encouraging performance on budget transparency indexes highlights the country’s genuine efforts to tackle what some observers have described as a deeply entrenched culture of institutional corruption.

SOURCE: Morocco News

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AgricultureEconomyFood ProductionMorrocco

Morocco Has Wheat Reserves Sufficient for 6 months

by Radarr Africa
written by Radarr Africa

Morocco’s reserves of wheat can sustain the country for six months, after being affected by this year’s diminished domestic output, Moulay Abdelkader El Alaoui, the President of the National Wheatmill Federation said.

Speaking to SNRT, Morocco’s National Company of Radio and Television, El Alaoui said the country’s reserves of wheat has reached 21 million pounds as of August.

He carried on to say that the price of a single pound of soft wheat has increased from MAD 380 ($36) to MAD 480 ($45), with hard wheat increasing from MAD 600 ($57) to MAD 700 ($66).

Grains, including wheat, are among the food products whose prices remain most affected by the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, with the two countries covering much of global supply.

Countries in Africa and the Middle East were among the worst affected, being net importers of food. Morocco in particular experienced some of these effects, as reduced domestic output could not keep up with the difference.

ALSO READ: Morocco’s Electricity Production Increased by 3.2% in 2022

Global wheat prices decreased by 14.5% in July, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a decrease that was mostly attributed to a new agreement between Ukraine and Russia to facilitate exporting goods.

Earlier this month, several ships carrying shipments of grain left Ukrainian ports, with one of the ships headed towards Africa. The agreement was lauded as a “sigh of relief” for the world.

Moulay Abdelkader El Alaoui continued to detail Morocco’s wheat imports, saying that the kingdom gets its soft wheat from France, Poland, and Hungary, while hard wheat is mainly being imported from Canada.

Since the global food crisis was exacerbated by the war, Morocco’s government has allocated more funds towards subsidizing the cost of essential goods for its citizens, with food products and cooking gas being some of the most notable subsidies.

SOURCE: Morocco news

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EconomyEnergyMorrocco

Morocco’s Electricity Production Increased by 3.2% in 2022

by Radarr Africa
written by Radarr Africa

Morocco’s volume of domestic electric power generation has increased by 3.2% at the end of the first half of 2022. The increase follows 2.2% growth in the second quarter of 2022 and a 4.2% increase in the first quarter of 2022, according to the country’s Department of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF).

This improvement is mostly due to a 31.6% rise in the production at the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE), and that of renewable energies offset by decreased private sector output, the DEPF detailed. 

Compared to the same period in the pre-crisis year in 2019, electrical energy output, continues to rise by 3% at the end of June, after a 1.7% increase at the end of March 2022 and a 0.1% decrease at the of June 2021.  While the amount of imported energy climbed by 161.3%, exports fell by 18.5%.

ALSO READ: Morocco Has Highest Average monthly Salaries in North Africa

Electric energy usage increased by 7.6% in second quarter of 2022, following a 2.2% increase in the first quarter of  2022. This rise can be attributed to a 6.2% increase in energy sales to distributors, used mostly by the manufacturing sector.

According to the DEPF, domestic consumption of electric energy climbed by 9.8% compared to the second quarter of 2019, up from 4.3% in the first quarter of the same year.

At the end of the first half of 2022, consumption of Electric energy had increased by 4.9% in one year, compared to a 7.4% increase in the previous year. 

This is owing to a 6.3% increase in sales of “Very high, High, and Medium Voltage energy, excluding distributors,” a 3.6% increase in sales to distributors, and a 5.5% increase in sales to households, the DEPF concludes.

SOURCE: Morocco news

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EconomyFinance & ServicesMorrocco

Morocco Has Highest Average monthly Salaries in North Africa

by Radarr Africa
written by Radarr Africa

With an average monthly net salary of $385 after taxes, Morocco has the highest average salary in the North Africa region in 2022, according to a report published this month.

Released by the business magazine CEO World, the report compiled and assessed data indicating that Morocco ranks first in the North African region and 86th worldwide (out of 105 countries) in terms of average salaries. 

Placing second in the North Africa region is Tunisia; the country is 96th worldwide with an average monthly net salary of $277. Following is Algeria, which ranks 98th worldwide with a net salary average standing at $249.

Sudan and Libya were absent from the ranking. Meanwhile, Egypt was the lowest ranked North African country: it came 100th place with a net salary average of $219.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with an average monthly salary of $3663. 

ALSO READ: Blue Diamond Growers has Recalls Almonds from Morocco Due to Salmonella

Worldwide, the Gulf country features among the top 20 nations with the highest average salaries, ranking in the fifth position.

The second MENA country to feature in the top 20 is Qatar, with an average net salary of $3168. Israel is the last MENA country that appears among the top 20 countries, with a monthly salary average of $2766. 

The ranking comes as Morocco takes steps to increase the legal minimum wage as part of the government’s policy of supporting Moroccan households’ purchasing power amid a severe, worldwide cost of living crisis. 

In April, Morocco’s government announced plans to raise the legal minimum wage for workers within the sectors of trade, industry, and services by 10% over the coming two years.

The measure is part of a larger-scale plan to set a common paying standard for agriculture and other sectors, according to a government document quoted in converging reports. 

The government has also pledged to raise the minimum wage of workers within the public sector to MAD 3500 ($351) after taxes by 2024. Currently, the minimum wage in the private sector in Morocco stands at ($265).

SOURCE: Morocco news

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AgricultureBusinessEconomyMorroccoUncategorized

Blue Diamond Growers Recalls Almonds from Morocco Due to Salmonella

by Radarr Africa
written by Radarr Africa

 Blue Diamond Growers, a California-based agricultural cooperative, has recalled more than 150 tonnes of “whole brown almonds” manufactured after a sample tested positive for salmonella.

The company initiated the recall on August 5 at the request of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

On August 19, Blue Diamond Growers confirmed to Food Safety News the complete withdrawal of potentially impacted almonds from Morocco, Germany, and Canada, as well as three US states, California, Colorado, and Illinois. 

American almonds enjoy a high market share in the Moroccan market estimated at 83% in 2021 due to Morocco’s removal of import duties in 2019. 

A recent study by Rekolt confirmed that tax exemption increased the share of American almonds in the Moroccan market up from 21% in 2021, which represented a major blow to the less competitive local production estimated at 30,000 tonnes. 

The study also noted that Moroccan consumers prefer to buy “very affordable” American almonds over Moroccan almonds with a “sophisticated flavor, nice shape, and great oil content.” 

ALSO READ: Morocco’s Interbank Monetary Center Warns Citizens of Scammers presenting Schengen Visa appointments

Morocco and the US signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in June 2004, but the deal entered into force on January 1, 2006.  More than 120 American companies have operated in the North African country since the implementation of the FTA, leading the US goods trade surplus in Morocco to increase from $79 million in 2005 to $1.8 billion in 2011, according to data from the Office of the US Trade Representative. 

As of 2020, Moroccan exports to the US reached $1.13 billion. The export list included minerals and chemical fertilizers (21%), planes, helicopters, and spacecraft (10%), as well as processed fish (6.73%), and citrus (5.56%). 

Meanwhile, 5.2% of Moroccan imports in 2020 came from the United States, with refined petroleum and petroleum gas topping the list as they represented 14.8% and 13% of total Moroccan imports from the US. 

SOURCE: Morocco news

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