This session focused on discussing the assessment of the Agency’s activities for the 2023 financial year and initiatives aimed at stimulating the aquaculture sector in Morocco, taking into account the current challenges of the sector and opportunities for sustainable growth, indicates a press release from ANDA.
On this occasion, Mr. Sadiki specified that the aquaculture sector in Morocco has significant potential to contribute to food security, create jobs and support economic development, highlighting the constant progress that aquaculture is experiencing at the national level as an inclusive sector and creator of wealth and stable jobs in regions with confirmed potential.
And to continue that the main achievements accomplished by ANDA in the different coastal regions of the Kingdom have contributed greatly to boosting the growth of the sector.
In this respect, the performance of the aquaculture sector highlights a continuous growth in terms of installed farm projects, with 173 farms targeting a production in the long term exceeding 99,400 tonnes/year. In addition to these projects, 61 other projects are currently acquiring equipment to start their installation for an annual target production of approximately 24,800 tonnes.
These projects include innovative and eco-responsible private initiatives aimed at diversifying the national aquaculture offering and presenting a particular interest with regard to the promotion of territories with real added value and the creation of stable jobs, the press release states.
According to the same source, aquaculture hubs are emerging from the marine aquaculture development strategy for which structuring actions are being undertaken by ANDA and its partners in terms of developing the infrastructure to support the sector and consolidating its overall ecosystem in regions with high aquaculture potential.
The competitiveness of the sector is also a challenge for which the government has provided responses through the extension of tax incentives on the importation of inputs, particularly fish feed, at a customs duty of 2.5% by 2026.
In the same perspective and to provide financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises, two financing programs were concluded with the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, which mobilized a total envelope exceeding 42 million dirhams.
Controlling the value chain is a challenge for which ANDA provides its support, particularly to projects targeting seed production through the launch of work on the first fish hatchery in the Tahaddart area and also through the implementation of technical solutions for collecting shellfish spat in the natural environment.
The establishment of pilot projects in the regions bordering the Atlantic coast is also a program set up by ANDA to test new approaches in terms of technology and type of aquaculture adapted to the context of the ocean ecosystem and thereby offer investors practical solutions for the success of their projects and enable them to fully exploit the potential of this coast which represents 90% of the national aquaculture potential.
After discussing the various achievements of ANDA, the Board of Directors then proceeded to validate its activity report and examined its financial accounts for the 2023 financial year. These accounts are certified without reservations by the statutory auditor.
2024-08-27 19:43:32