Rich producers and their cooperatives

Context

Apples, a potential lever for local development

In 2008, the Green Morocco Plan made agriculture a national priority. Since then, the Kingdom has supported “small-scale agriculture” by heavily subsidizing productive investments (production, processing, storage) for farmers and their organizations.

In Rich district, Midelt province (Easter High Atlas), fruit production (apples, plums, walnuts …), beekeeping and dairy production have been developing for several decades, alongside the traditional subsistence farming of the mountain oasis (cereals, traditional livestock).

Even though apple production is still recent, it has a very important place on farms in terms of surface area, income and employment. However, producers face difficulties in getting access to seedlings and quality inputs, technical management, storage and marketing. Existing cooperatives fail to meet these needs sustainably.

In this context, Fert has been working since 2014 to support Rich farmers and their cooperatives in the development of a high-quality services offer.

Objectives

Improving farmers’ technical-economic results and resilience

Consolidating and developing the training and advisory service (technical and management advice)

Improving access to quality inputs (seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides, equipment …) and getting a greater value for the production

Getting organized to collectively learn and secure the viability of technical and economic services

Actions

A two-level accompaniment

Local advisors take action with farmers in 10 villages of Rich district through:

Farms’ technical and management advice:

Educational training and advising activities for apple producers: demonstrations, exchange visits, training, individual advice, group advice, technical and economic advice, trials, expertise mobilization …
Training and facilitation of a relay-farmers’ network : These activities deal with the different stages of the technical itinerary, including more sustainable practices, but also address post-harvest management and farm management

Local facilitation of producers’ groups:

Support to groups’ initiatives: group purchases of seedlings, phytosanitary products and fertilizers …
Assistance in the organization and animation of the associative life
Leaders’ training
Connecting farmers with inputs providers, service providers and other development organizations

Rich district