MAURITANIA – Morocco, through Morocco’s OCP Program to support African farmers as the continent faces a food security crisis, has donated 5,000 tonnes of fertilizers to smallholder farmers in Mauritania.
Morocco’s OCP Group, a global leader in plant nutrition and the largest producer of phosphate-based fertilizers, launched the first phase of the fertilizer program under the instructions of King Mohammed VI, to contribute to a sustainable transition of agricultural systems on the continent, Jamali emphasized.
The program – Promoting Agricultural Growth in Africa – is also part of OCP’s investments in a decade of Africa-focused research and development in collaboration with agronomic institutes and research universities across the continent.
Director General of OCP Africa Anouar Jamali commented on the donation, emphasizing that Mauritania has been identified as the main beneficiary of the program, which serves over four million farmers across Africa.
The program, which serves 50,000 farmers who represent the majority of food producers in Mauritania, seeks to contribute to straightening the cooperation and partnership between Morocco and its southern neighbor, Jamali said.
He noted that OCP’s mechanism also integrates training and awareness raising on best agricultural practices in terms of sustainable fertilization, supply chain, as well as access to finance and markets.
Mauritania’s Minister of Agriculture Yahia Ould Ahmed El Waghf commended Morocco’s initiative, emphasizing that the donation joins the “efforts made by the two countries to strengthen their bilateral cooperation.”
The subsidiary of OCP Africa has also partnered with Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture to launch soil mapping exercises for over 100 participants, intending to achieve enhanced fertilizer customization for the participants.
Fertilizer and soil customization has become one of the most important pillars of OCP Africa’s strategy in recent years, allowing the company to produce better results for its partners across the continent.
OCP’s customization strategy focuses on supplying farmers with the right type and amount of fertilizer for their specific soil and needs.
Kenya received its first batches of Moroccan fertilizers in September this year, which enabled the country to lower the price of fertilizers for farmers suffering from a global shortage.
OCP Group, which endeavors to address both the immediate and longer-term drivers of food insecurity on the continent, announced in October to have committed to reserve over 4 million tons of fertilizers for African farmers in 2023.
This is more than double OCP’s supply to the continent in 2021 and represents over a quarter of OCP’s expected total output.
One of the recent initiatives was in October when Morocco donated 25,0000 tonnes of fertilizer to smallholder farmers in Senegal.
The donation included 10,000 tonnes of di-ammonium phosphate, 5,000 tonnes of triple superphosphate, and 10,000 tonnes of fertilizer sold at reduced prices for small Senegalese producers. In July, OCP also donated 15,000 tonnes of di-ammonium phosphate fertilizer to Rwanda.
OCP has heavily invested in the development of eco-responsible fertilizer production capacity, to reach 15 MT of the finished product by 2023, from a base of 3MT in 2008. This enables OCP to respond to Africa’s urgent needs while also supporting farmers around the world.
For all the latest food industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
