China and Morocco have taken a significant step towards strengthening their bilateral relations by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance agricultural cooperation. The agreement was signed in Rabat, Morocco, on July 4, 2023, by Tang Renjian, China’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and Mohamed Sadiki, the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests.
The MoU outlines several areas of cooperation between the two nations, including distant-water fishing, aquatic products processing technology, organic agriculture, agricultural digitalization, irrigation techniques, and water management. These areas of collaboration reflect the shared interests and complementary agricultural practices of both countries.
Tang Renjian praised the cooperation between China and Morocco, particularly in vegetable variety cultivation, cultivation technology, and veterinary drug and vaccine research and development. He expressed China’s willingness to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with Morocco on various fronts, including animal disease prevention and control, dry land water-saving agriculture, conservation of marine fishery resources, and protecting and utilizing agricultural heritage.
Mohamed Sadiki, on his part, congratulated Qu Dongyu, a Chinese national, on his re-election as the Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Sadiki also provided an overview of Morocco’s agricultural situation and development strategy, expressing his country’s eagerness to leverage the MoU to elevate China-Morocco agricultural cooperation.
Agriculture plays a pivotal role in Morocco’s economy, contributing to over 15% of the country’s total economic output and employing about 40% of the labor force. China, being the largest supplier of green tea to Morocco, has found its second-largest tea export destination in the country. This new agreement is expected to solidify the two nations’ agricultural ties further, potentially leading to increased economic growth and development.
Photo by Hatim Belyamani on Unsplash
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