Three more years of AFC support to the German-Moroccan Excellence Centre for Agriculture

Three more years of AFC support to the German-Moroccan Excellence Centre for Agriculture

Since 2012, AFC in partnership with the German Livestock Breeders Association (ADT) has been engaged in the set-up and further development of an Excellence Centre for Agriculture (CECAMA) in the province of Sidi Slimane in Northwestern Morocco. The purpose of CECAMA is to offer training, information and extension services to farmers in innovative production methods, for example in wheat, barley, potato and fodder cultivation. In 2015, CECAMA started cooperation with four dairy farms of different sizes to demonstrate modern technologies in cattle husbandry and milk processing.

A characteristic of CECAMA is its close cooperation with private sector industries, including well-known German manufacturers of agricultural machinery, seeds, and other input. In this respect, CECAMA regularly organizes field days, training courses and other events to demonstrate the use of machinery and equipment, crop rotation and cultivation techniques in a realistic environment.

The German Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which is the donor of this project, awarded the service contract for the second phase of CECAMA again to the consortium of AFC and ADT. Starting in January 2016, our team of four long-term experts will continue supporting the development of the Centre for another three years. In this period, we aim at extending the offered services to new crops (for example sugar beets), engaging more partners from the private sector, and preparing the ground for a sustainable management of the Centre beyond 2018.

For further information on CECAMA please consult the website www.cecama.ma (in French and Arabic) or contact Dr Ute Jacob at AFC: ute.jacob [at] afci.de