Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
June 16 , 2007

300 ha of Argan trees to be reforested south of Morocco.
Essaouira (south), June 11

Some 300 ha of Argan trees will be reforested in the south of Morocco, under a cooperation agreement signed in 2002 between Midi Pyrenees regions and the region of Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz, revealed, here Sunday, the Mohammed V Foundation for Research and Argan Tree Preservation. The foundation, which held its third general assembly, underlined the achievements mainly those pertaining to the notion of the geographical indication, which represents an important step in the process of the protection of the Argan tree.

The Foundation's director general, Ms Katim Alaoui, noted that the agreement also provides for the upgrading and the marketing of the argan oil by women's cooperatives. She also pointed out that the foundation promoted the use of solar ovens by the population working on argan oil by installing 30 solar ovens in the region.

This project aims at saving firewood through the use of solar energy, given that each solar oven enables to save between 5 and 10 kg of wood a day, according to the project officials who estimate that the setting up of 500 solar ovens results in avoiding a loss of 50 to 100 ha of argan trees per year.

The Foundation, chaired by the Moroccan king’s advisor, André Azoulay, intends to launch a Website and to conduct a detailed study on the various aspects of the argan tree. Set up in May 2004, the Foundation aims at guaranteeing a legal protection of the argan trees exploitation, promoting and protecting natural equilibrium, improving the standard of living of the population working on argan trees and guaranteeing the quality of the argan products.

A forest, fruit and fodder tree, the argan tree covers currently some 870,000 ha, that is around 10% of Morocco’s forest areas. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/300_ha_of_argan_tree/view
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Morocco to plant 20,000 ha of cork oak trees yearly over a decade, official.
Lisbon, June 11

Morocco has worked out a program which provides for planting a total of 20,000 Ha of cork oak trees over the period 2005-2014, that is an average of 2,000 yearly, revealed, here Friday, visiting Moroccan Water and Forest Commissioner, Abdeladim El Hafi. Mr El Hafi said that Morocco has adopted an international partnership to develop the production cycles of cork oak, adding that Morocco has, for this purpose, concluded a cooperation agreement with Portugal, which has a wide experience in this area.

He underlined that this convention is part of the program aiming at upgrading cork oak forests, notably the Maamoura forest (near Rabat) which undergoes substantial pressure. The agreement, he added, also provides for collaboration in the fight against forest fires, pointing out that fires destroy 10,000 ha in Portugal each year. Spain and Portugal are Morocco’s major customers of cork oak. In 2003, Portugal imported 12,772 tons, followed by Spain which imported 4,076 tons.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_economy/morocco_to_plant_209714/view
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Some 10,000 Moroccan agricultural laborers to head for Spain for next agricultural campaign.
Tangier, June 8

Around 10,000 agricultural laborers will head for the Spanish region of Huelva for the forthcoming agricultural campaign, said, here Friday, mayor of Cartaya province, Juan Antonio Millan. Speaking at a meeting on the program of seasonal migration management between Morocco and Huelva, Mr. Antonio Millan underlined that this project, which started in 2004, was "successful", and the number of Moroccan agricultural laborers is more and more important. "After 1,200 laborers in 2005, there were 4,632 laborers in 2006, and the number may reach 10,000 for the forthcoming agricultural campaign in Huelva," he said, underlining that the only foreign workforces the region will receive will come from Morocco.

The mayor said this project was deemed "excellent" by a recent European Union audit, noting that only 8% of the agricultural laborers have not fulfilled their commitments during the current agricultural campaign. “We have set up an efficient system for seasonal migration management, and an efficient tool to fight illegal migration, a source of abusive exploitation against illegal laborers,” concluded the mayor. This project could be extended to include other sectors, such as hotel and catering businesses.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_economy/some_10000_moroccan/view
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WB grants Morocco USD 100Mn loan to develop energy sector.
Rabat, June 8

The World Bank (WB) will lend Morocco some USD 100Mn to fund the first stage of the energy sector development program, under a loan agreement signed here on Friday. The loan, signed by Moroccan finance minister, Fathallah Oualalou, and Director of the Maghreb Department at the World Bank, Theodore Ahlers, is part of the bank's support policy for reforms carried out by the Moroccan government in the field of energy.

Morocco's policy of energy sector development aims at promoting energy security as part of sustainable development, while strengthening energy independence by means of diversifying sources of supply and developing national water, windborne and solar resources. It also aims to contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of Moroccan economy in general and the energy sector in particular, and the follow-up and the assessment of the energy policy.

Speaking to the press following the signing ceremony, Mr Ahlers underlined that this program, which has been supported by the World Bank, will contribute, thanks to an efficient organization and high competitiveness, to make Morocco supplied with energy products and enable households and firms to have access to low-cost energy. He added that the program aims also at creating a favorable environment for private investment in the field of renewable energy.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/wb_grants_morocco_us5865/view
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UNFPA grants Morocco over USD 6Mn to improve women and youth's health .
Rabat, June 6

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will grant Morocco USD 6,265,000 for the period 2007-2011, aimed at improving women and youth's health, under a partnership convention signed, here Wednesday, with the Moroccan health ministry. The new convention targets two new Moroccan regions, namely Meknès Tafilalt and Gharb Chrarda Bni Hssen (center), along with those having benefited from the 2002-2006 program, i.e. Marrakech Tensift Al-Haouz and Tadla Azilal.

The 2007-2011 action plan touches on three major axes: supporting decentralisation and regional governance, integrated management of women, adolescents and youth's health and finally community health. Moroccan health minister, Mohammed Cheikh Biadillah, said, following the signing ceremony, that cooperation between Morocco and UNFPA dates as long ago as 1974, noting that it touches on fields as diverse as reproductive health, advancement of women, reducing disparities to alleviate poverty, educating little girls and funding researches on population and demography. For his part, the UNFPA representative in Morocco said the Fund pursues, through this convention, its support for the Moroccan health ministry and its activities aiming to satisfy women and youth’s needs.

UNFPA is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. It supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/unfpa_grants_morocco8796/view
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Morocco to launch national campaign against plastic bags.
Rabat, June 5

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Morocco is organizing a national campaign to collect and destroy plastic bags on June 3-10, according to the Environment ministry. Initiated by the Cement Industry Professional Association, the campaign will take place in the cities with cement industry units, namely Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Fès, Meknès, Oujda, Agadir, Tétouan, Safi and Laâyoune, said a press release of the ministry.

The campaign, to be carried out by volunteers supervised by local authorities, sustainable development associations and waste management companies, is meant to recuperate and ecologically destroy these bags that damage environment and raise the population’s awareness about the dangers of these wastes. On the fringes of this campaign, the ministry is organizing, on June 7 in Rabat, an information day on biodegradable plastic bags.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_to_launch_na/view
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Moroccans consume 250k Mt of plastic bags every year, minister.
Rabat, June 8

Plastic bags consumption in Morocco reached 250,000Mt per annum, revealed, on Thursday, Water and Environment Minister, Mohammed El-Yazghi. Speaking at a study day on Plastic bags, Mr. El-Yazghi said that the average Moroccan consumes 9kg worth of plastic bags each year. A large quantity of plastic bags ends up in the environment due to the lack of closed and controlled dumpsters, the minister said, adding that these bags are neither degradable nor biodegradable, and could linger in the environment for hundreds of years. "This would endanger human health and the environment, notably animals and the vegetal cover," he pointed out.

Mr. El-Yazghi noted that there is a draft decree which provides for measures concerning the making and consumption of plastic bags. Another project is in the making, in partnership with the French Agency of Development, and aims to create a dialogue between all the parties involved in the production and use of plastic bags, he added. This project also provides for developing recyclable plastic bags. Such efforts will be consolidated by a communication campaign targeting plastic bags makers, wholesalers, NGOs, and citizens, he said.

Morocco produces between 2 and 3 billion plastic bags every year, a big portion of which ends up in nature and remains there for hundreds of years.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/general/moroccans_consume_25/view
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Spain grants Morocco USD 247k to support water plan.
Madrid, June 1

Spain will earmark some USD 247,000 to the FAO-led project of technical assistance to Morocco's National Water Plan, part of a total budget of over USD 1.2Mn. The financial contribution, approved on Friday by the weekly Spanish cabinet meeting, will benefit the pilot project of water saving in the central city of El-Jadida (190 km south of Rabat), implemented with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The envelope is destined to funding the technical management of this project, which aims to improve irrigation systems on pilot plots and achieve a better water network regulation that matches technical and economic options and various crops. Elaborated in conjunction with the farmers and the technical services of the agriculture ministry, the project also aims at achieving sustainable improvement of land productivity, workforce and water saving. This experience is due to cover, at a later stage, all the irrigated areas in the north African country. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/spain_grants_morocco/view
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