The National Fair for Local Products (SNAPT) wants to capitalise on the success of previous editions to establish itself in the future as an international event, it was indicated on Friday in Agadir by the organisers.
"The next edition will see the participation of three African countries, namely Tunisia, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. We hope that this participation will be a prelude to giving an international dimension to this Fair", stated Hrou Brou, regional director of Agriculture, during a press briefing dedicated to presenting the 3rd SNAPT, scheduled for 2 to 6 April at Place Bijawane.
According to him, the organisation of this Fair in Agadir derives its importance from the fact that the agricultural sector in the Souss-Massa-Draa (SMD) region contributes more than 80% to the national production of early vegetables, more than 70% of citrus fruits and more than 70% of local products.
The region's contribution to these products, which are part of the 2nd pillar of the Green Morocco Plan, is distributed between cactus, which covers more than 50% of production and surface area at the national level, argan (70%), saffron (99%) and dates (90%).
For his part, the president of the Regional Council, Brahim Hafidi, noted that the SMD region was one of the first to adopt a regional agricultural plan as part of a forward-looking vision guaranteeing convergence with a view to promoting local products, highlighting, at the same time, the commitment of all institutional actors, professionals and the cooperative fabric to this vision.
Placed this year under the banner "Our intangible capital is also our local products", the 3rd SNAPT is organised by the eponymous Association in partnership with the Regional Chamber of Agriculture, and other partners.
The Fair aims to promote local products and their development potential, provide a platform for direct sales of products, draw attention to the importance of this sector and serve as a space for the exchange of ideas and experiences.
Spread over an area of 3,000 m2, this Fair, which will see the participation of 150 exhibitors, plans a series of conferences and thematic workshops, tasting sessions, educational and cultural activities and artistic and musical evenings with the participation of folk troupes.
On the menu of the scientific programme are two workshops led by a galaxy of associative actors, institutional speakers and Moroccan and foreign researchers. The first deals with "territorial development through consultation between the various actors" and the second focuses on "the cooperative as an ideal framework for aggregation and promotion of local products".
The organisers are also planning local product circuits for the benefit of African cooperatives and others representing different regions of the Kingdom, with field visits to professional organisations and associations that have proven their worth in the Souss-Massa-Draa region, known for the diversity of its agricultural and local products.
The previous edition of the SNAPT, set up over an area of 1,500 m2, saw the participation of 100 exhibitors and attracted some 25,000 visitors.
Data from the regional directorate of Agriculture show that local products cover large areas since they occupy, in 2015, more than 50 thousand hectares for prickly pears, with an annual production of 490,000 tonnes, 1,600 hectares for saffron (5 tonnes), 800 hectares for roses (1,650 tonnes), 160,000 beehives (one thousand tonnes), nearly 684,000 hectares for argan (more than 248,000 tonnes), 1,400 hectares for henna (7,600 tonnes) and 41,000 hectares for dates (42,000 tonnes).
