The 12th edition of the Pomegranate Moussem opened last Thursday in the rural commune of Ouled Abdellah in the Fkih Ben Salah province, with the aim of promoting this product renowned for its nutritional value and medicinal virtues.

This event, which continued until November 22 at the initiative of the Zidania Association for Culture and Social Development in partnership with the Al Khalfia rural commune, aims to contribute to the promotion of the "Sefri pomegranate" (yellow pomegranate) and the development of rural tourism.

To promote this product, this variety of pomegranate has been labelled, two storage and refrigeration units with a capacity of 400 tonnes and a packaging unit have been built, and cooperatives have been supported in the marketing and export of this local product.

The Tadla Regional Office for Agricultural Development (ORMVAT) contributed to the promotion of Sefri pomegranates, which allowed for the increase of the area dedicated to this variety in Ouled Abdellah, which went from 860 ha in 2011 to 1,250 ha currently, as well as the improvement of the average yield, which went from 23 to 32 tonnes/ha.

Moroccan pomegranate clones have different names, attributed according to the shape of the fruit (Ounk Hmam), the area (Bzou, Gjebali), or the colour of the berry's skin, such as Sefri, red pomegranate, and yellow pomegranate. Their characteristics remain relatively close to those of foreign varieties from the point of view of the colour of the skin and seeds. The differences are clear on the pomological level, notably the taste quality and the texture of the berries, which determine the quality of the fruits.