Meknes – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan chaired, on Monday at Mechouar Stinia-Sahrij Souani in Meknes, the opening ceremony of the 16th International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco (SIAM), organized under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, on April 22-28, under the theme ‘Climate and Agriculture: Advocating Sustainable and Resilient Production Systems’.
At the start of the opening ceremony of this 16th edition, whose guest of honor is the Kingdom of Spain, HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan presented three certificates of recognition of the Distinctive Signs of Origin and Quality to the presidents of producer groups of local products awarded the label during the 2023-2024 crop season.
Thus, the first certificate was awarded to Abdelkrim Bayad, president of the Federation of Oriental almond professionals for the Geographical Indication ‘Amandes Beni Snassen’ (Oriental region), while the second was presented to Mohamed El Hadi, president of the Ait Bouguemez cooperative o
f agricultural producers for the Geographical Indication ‘Pomme de la Vallée Ait Bouguemez’ (Beni Mellal-Khenifra region).
The third certificate was awarded to Abdessalam El Houadfi, director of “Le Petit Domaine SARL” company for the ‘Free-range chicken eggs’ agricultural label.
HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan then posed for a souvenir photo with the three farmers.
One of the main areas of product development within the framework of the “Green Morocco Plan” and “Génération Green”, the labeling system aims to promote the quality of local products and enhance the know-how of local populations, develop rural areas and improve farmers’ incomes, protect good-quality local products against usurpation, and promote agriculture in rural areas capable of preserving biodiversity and natural resources.
At the entrance to the exhibition, His Royal Highness was greeted by Luis Planas, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Kingdom of Spain, personalities representing the foreign countries invited (France
, Romania, Czech Republic, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and South Sudan), as well as by Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission.
Afterwards, HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan visited the various sections of the exhibition and received explanations on the products showcased, in particular the “Regions” hub, before posing for a souvenir photo with the presidents of the regional councils.
His Royal Highness also visited the “Water and Irrigation” and “Research and Innovation” stands in the “Génération Green” pavilion of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, as well as the “Institutional”, “Local Products”, “Livestock Inputs”, “Livestock”, “Agri-Digital” and “International” hubs.
At the “Agri-Foods” hub, HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan followed an immersive video on the digitalization o
f agriculture, before moving on to the “Agro-Supplies” and “Machinery” hubs.
Built at the “Sahrij Souani” square on a 12.4-Ha site, SIAM, which sees the participation of 70 countries and 1,500 exhibitors with 40 conferences and round tables on the program, promises to be an enriching experience for professionals and the general public alike.
It offers visitors a wide range of products and the latest generation of agricultural machinery, designed to promote agricultural and livestock production, as well as key sectors of the regional economy, including agri-food and its corollary, the food industry.
The 2024 SIAM is marked by the introduction of a new “Agri-Digital” Hub, illustrating the role of digital technologies in the service of a more efficient and resilient agriculture, the significant extension of the “Local Products” Hub, promoting Moroccan agricultural diversity, and the introduction of the E-ticket to improve access conditions.
Over the years, SIAM has succeeded in positioning itself as a flagsh
ip event for Morocco in general and its agriculture in particular. It has acquired a leading pan-African dimension, and has become the major event for professionals in the sector on a continental scale.
On his arrival at the Exhibition, HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan reviewed a detachment of the Royal Guard that paid the honors, before being greeted by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, the wali of the Fez-Meknes region, the president of the Fez-Meknes regional council, the governor of the Meknes prefecture, the president of the Meknes prefectural council, the president of the Meknes communal council, the president of the Mechouar Stinia commune, the president of the Fez-Meknes regional chamber of agriculture, the president and members of the SIAM’s board of directors and sponsors, the president of the federation of chambers of agriculture and the president of the Moroccan confederation of agriculture and rural development.
Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse