U.S. Grains Council (USGC) staff traveled to Casablanca, Morocco earlier this month with representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA’s FAS), 50 agribusinesses and 14 state departments and farm organizations for an agricultural trade mission (ATM) to highlight the continued trade partnership between the U.S. and Morocco.
USGC Regional Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Ramy H. Taieb; USGC Deputy Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Salah Bouthour; USGC Manager of Global Strategies and Trade Sadie Marks; USGC Consultants for Morocco Dr Ait Abdallah Boulahsen and Dr. Mustapha El Yousouffi represented the Council at the event.
“Africa is the future, with its population expected to reach nearly two and a half billion by 2050, and it holds considerable long-term growth potential for feed and meat demand, meaning more market share for U.S. agricultural products,” Taieb said in his remarks to attendees.
“The Council’s long history of engagement in the region will continue for years to come, seeking to explore short-term market opportunities and build lasting partnerships with industry leaders, importers, livestock producers, government officials and respected organizations through trade as a win-win relationship.”
Discussions with USDA delegation and cooperators centered on the benefits of the U.S. – Morocco free trade agreement and ways to build on its success to expand U.S. exports to the Kingdom and neighboring west African countries. The group also participated in site visits to highlight the Council’s commitment in Morocco, including its West African Poultry Training Center and Alf Sahel engagement for the last two decades.
After the ATM, the Council’s delegation attended the Dawajine Poultry Show and networked with the board members of the African Poultry Association to discuss future Council programming in the area and assess feed demand for U.S. producers.
Part of the team also visited COPAG, a major dairy cooperative and food producer in Morocco, to check in on investments the Council has made in the organization during the last 20 years that increased demand for U.S. agriculture products.
“The Council is keen on promoting U.S. agriculture by nurturing the growth of aquaculture, beef, poultry and other local operations that will uplift local communities while driving demand for U.S. corn, corn co-products and other feed ingredients,” Taieb said. “Close collaboration with FAS through events like these and its regional agricultural promotion program (RAPP) funding will allow the Council to greatly expand its activities in Africa and generate a massive market for future generations of U.S. farmers.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in Morocco here.
Source: Email/GFMM
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