For a budget of more than 1.73 billion dirhams, thirteen investment agreements were signed this Wednesday in Rabat in the agri-food and pharmaceutical industries sectors between the Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour and industrial operators .
These agreements, initialed by the Minister and industrial operators in the agri-food and pharmaceutical sectors, will generate more than 1,780 direct and 2,700 indirect jobs and are part of the strengthening of food and health sovereignty in the Kingdom. They will have to generate an additional turnover of more than 2.9 billion dirhams.
In the agri-food sector, these agreements relate to the implementation of 10 projects of more than 1.2 billion dirhams, with more than 1,500 direct and 2,400 indirect jobs planned, while in the pharmaceutical sector, the said agreements relate to 3 projects of 531, 4 million dirhams (MDH) which will create 280 direct and 300 indirect jobs.
In his speech, Minister Ryad Mezzour indicated that thanks to the leadership of King Mohammed VI, Morocco is on the way to winning its industrial revival bet, noting that “ the sustained pace of wealth- and job-generating investments, carried mainly by Moroccan capital, testifies to the great dynamics experienced by our industries“.
Made In Morocco: Diversified products with high added value
Supported and accompanied by the Ministry of Industry, these new investments are ” the developer of the importance of the role played by local manufacturing as a vector of regional development, sustainable value chains and export, through diversified product ranges with high added value, he said argue, noting in this sense that ” Made in Morocco finds its way to success“.
Thus, the 10 agri-food investment projects, spread over five regions of the Kingdom, Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, l’Oriental, Fès-Meknes and Tanger-Tétouan-El Hoceima and supported under the program contract for the development of agri-food industries, fall within the sectors of the citrus crushing and juice production industry, biscuits, chocolate and confectionery, pasta and couscous, fruit and vegetable processing and the dairy industry.
In addition to the development and industrial transformation of regional and national agricultural production into citrus fruits, milk and fruit and vegetables, these investments in agri-food are part of the strategic priorities of import substitution by local products meeting the needs of the national market in agri-food products, particularly processed cheese, citrus juice and concentrate, tomato concentrate and biscuit and chocolate products.
These new investments also aspire to develop agri-food exports with a range of diversified products with high added value, beyond the local market.
The CEO of Diana Holding, Ghita Zniber, who intervened shortly before the signing of an agreement relating to the establishment of a citrus crushing unit at the Agropole de Berkane, indicated that this agreement covers an overall investment of 127 million dirhams for a forecast annual turnover of more than 75 million dirhams.
Pharmaceuticals: Establishment of a manufacturing and packaging unit
In the pharmaceutical sector, the three investment projects, supported under the performance contract for the drug ecosystem, fall within the generic manufacturing sector.
In his statement, Mohamed Squalli, Deputy Managing Director of AMANYS PHARMA, noted that the agreement signed with the Ministry concerns the establishment of a pharmaceutical unit which will be dedicated to the manufacture and exclusive packaging of generic injectable hospital drugs. , for an investment amount of nearly 256 MDH with the creation of 97 jobs by 2027.
These projects, located in the Casablanca-Settat region, concern, in addition to the exclusive manufacture and packaging of sterile injectable drugs in bags, the production of first generic drugs intended for the local market and for export and the manufacture of concentrates for hemodialysis. and marketing of pharmaceuticals.
These investment projects, which aim to meet the growing demand of the national market for drugs, also aim to increase national capacity for the manufacture of high value-added generics and to develop certain galenic forms such as injectables.
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