The entry into force of Law No. 13-21 relating to the legal uses of cannabis has, in fact, opened the way to the legal exploitation of cannabis in this province where many farmers were engaged in the cultivation of this plant illegally.
Now, with the regulation of cannabis production and marketing, growers are increasingly enthusiastic about operating within cooperatives, thanks to the authorizations issued by ANRAC and the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA).
Since the beginning of 2024, ANRAC has authorized the use of 1,634 Qx of local cannabis seeds, “Beldia”, based on the 106 authorizations for the use of Beldia seeds granted by ONSSA for an area of 1,916 Ha in favor of 106 production cooperatives bringing together 1,816 farmers.
The cooperatives of the province of Taounate are among the first beneficiaries of this decision by the Agency.
“This year, we obtained authorization to cultivate a local strain of cannabis, Beldia,” Othmane El Ayadi, president of the Nass Douar cannabis cultivation cooperative, said in a statement to MAP.
This is a pioneering experiment launched this year by ANRAC to support growers unable to acquire imported varieties of cannabis, explained Mr Ayadi, whose cooperative employs 23 people and operates on an area of 6 hectares.
The cooperative aims to double the number of its growers over the next 12 months, he said.
The same story is heard from Abdeslam Ayadi Chergui, president of the cooperative “Al Ochba Al Khadra” in Ghafsai, which also specializes in the cultivation of Beldia seeds and employs 27 farmers.
Mr. Chergui, who highly welcomed the generous Royal Pardon granted to persons convicted, prosecuted or wanted in cases related to cannabis cultivation, stressed that this High Solicitude of His Majesty the King will have an undeniable and immediate impact on the lives of many growers in the province, who were until then in conflict with the law.
“We work on about twenty hectares with a production that can vary depending on rainfall and the type of irrigation,” he explained, noting that productivity will continue to improve given that this is the cooperative’s first working season.
In this sense, he called on these growers to request the necessary authorizations to join cannabis cultivation cooperatives or set up their own projects.
For his part, the associative actor Mouhcine El Kramti considered that the regulation of cannabis cultivation has “changed the situation” for the province’s growers, whether they are simple farmers or cooperatives, allowing them to benefit from a stable income.
According to Mr. Kramti, from the Popular Children’s Movement in the rural commune of Khlalfa, the creation of ANRAC has initiated a real dynamic at the provincial level, with the combined efforts of all stakeholders, whether local authorities or farmers and civil society.
Indeed, the regulation of the sector through ANRAC opens up broader employment prospects for beneficiary farmers within the framework of these cooperatives, in particular through their integration into these structures to benefit from the legal and regulatory support and the necessary authorizations from ANRAC, all with a view to promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
2024-08-23 16:49:19