Agriculture, lever of employment and future of the rural world

The 14th edition of the International Agricultural Show (SIAM) is being held from today until April 21 in Meknes under the theme "Agriculture, lever of employment and future of the rural world".

Organized under the high patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, the 14th edition of SIAM welcomes Switzerland as guest of honor. Deployed over an area of 185,000 m² including 95,000 m² covered, SIAM, which is one of the largest events in Africa dedicated to agriculture and actors in the agricultural sector, should welcome 1,500 exhibitors representing 60 participating countries. One million visitors are expected there.

The Show is organized around 10 different centers and will host 300 conferences on the various themes related to agricultural news. Visitors will also have the opportunity to discover competitions for the different breeds at the Breeding pole, Ring & Show equestrian events as well as several other events.

The Hassan II Grand Prize for invention and research in the agricultural field, a prize giving for "best quality of extra virgin olive oils", as well as the ceremony of the National Grand Prize for the agricultural and rural press will be organized as every year during the SIAM, we recall.

Switzerland, one of the most competitive economies in the world and where half of the territory is exploited in agriculture which provides more than half of the food goods consumed in the country, is welcomed for the first time as a guest of honor to SIAM.

This country, which is also a leader in agri-food production, attaches great importance to research and development and devotes to it each year more than 18.5 billion Swiss francs CHF (nearly 180 billion dirhams), i.e. nearly 3% of its GDP.

Discovering the latest innovations in the agricultural sector

The 14th edition of the Meknes International Agricultural Show (SIAM), whose opening is scheduled for today, will be an opportunity to discover the latest innovations in the sector and to discuss the issue of employment in the rural world, underlined the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and Forests, Aziz Akhannouch. "All the indices show that the Fair will be a success in view of the good preparations and the means mobilized in order to make it a window of recent technological progress and best practices at the national and international levels in the agricultural sector", a- he said in a statement to the press after a visit last Tuesday to the site that will host this event.

The minister who was accompanied, in particular, by the governor of the prefecture of Meknes and the secretary general of the Ministry of Agriculture, visited the various structures of the Fair, which is organized around ten poles. Explanations were presented to him, on this occasion, on the progress of the preparations for this high mass of agriculture.

"We expect a large influx of the public and farmers who will discover new techniques and ways of improving crops," noted Aziz Akhannouch, noting the participation of 1,500 exhibitors representing 60 countries and 22 foreign ministers, at this Salon which, this year, welcomes Switzerland as a country of honour.

He added that SIAM-2019 will be an opportunity to discuss several issues related to Moroccan agriculture, in particular the means of promoting employment in the rural world, in accordance with the High Guidelines of HM King Mohammed VI.

A catalyst for African agribusiness

The International Agricultural Show in Morocco (SIAM) is "a catalyst" for African agribusiness, said Jaouad Chami, curator of this annual mass of agriculture. In addition to being an "unprecedented" breeding ground on the continent for agribusiness players, SIAM is a "revealer" and a "catalyst" for African agribusiness, he underlined in a interview published Tuesday by the French economic and financial newspaper "La Tribune Afrique".

According to him, “the pan-African dimension of the show is well established and several delegations are expected. This augurs a bullish trend. The proportion of the African continent in terms of participation in the Show was one third in 2018, "but already the countries present at the previous edition are participating this year, with in particular larger areas and new countries are expected with a great breakthrough. East African countries," he said.

Regarding the theme chosen for SIAM 2019, the curator of the show affirmed that it is in perfect phase with the socio-economic challenges of Morocco.

The theme "Agriculture, lever for employment and future of the rural world" highlights the rural as a whole, in perfect phase with the Royal directives and the socio-economic challenges of Morocco, he indicated, affirming that t will provide the opportunity to address an essential aspect, not only of the sector, but by inducing a vital issue for the country, that of employment.

This theme also responds to the need to ensure the rural world a balanced, harmonious and sustainable development by integrating an economic, social and spatial approach.