@FAO/Nuno Santos - field demonstration

In March, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in collaboration with Interprolive, Morocco’s olive oil industry association, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries (MAPM), organized a weeklong series of trainings on olive tree pruning techniques in Fès-Meknes, Morocco’s main olive growing region.

They brought in olive cultivation experts from Italy’s Apulia region to train more than 300 Moroccan farmers, students from technical agrarian institutes and members of cooperatives and economic interest groups. Some sessions targeted private sector companies and pruning service providers.

The training was part of FAO’s and the EBRD’s ongoing initiative to support the development of Morocco’s olive oil sector, from improving quality, efficiency and productivity, to promoting dialogue and cooperation between the public and private sector. 

“Increased productivity along the olive oil value chain, better product quality and sound sector institutions are all essential factors that will increase the competitiveness of Morocco’s olive oil sector,” said Mohamed Sadiki, Secretary General of the MAPM, who visited the trainings. “A strong olive oil sector can also create jobs in rural areas, particularly for young people.”

Boosting yields

The trainings, organized with support from the Regional Directorate of Agriculture of Fès-Meknes, focused on semi-intensive and traditional and modern extensive cultivation systems.

“These production systems and agro-ecological conditions are not very different from what we find back home,” said Vincenzo Petruzzella, one of the Italian experts leading the trainings. “However, inadequate pruning over many years leads to poor aeration, and the trees don’t get enough sunlight, which can easily give way to disease and lower production.”

He added that with the right trimming techniques, Moroccan producers growing varieties such as the picholine marrocaine could “considerably improve the quality of their olive oil while also increasing yields of high quality olives,” especially with good agronomic practices, including land preparation, fertilization and pest surveillance and response.

Proper pruning makes it easier to treat for diseases and pests, and also minimizes the alternate bearing tendency of olive trees, which causes significant variations in yields from year to year. An efficient harvesting schedule is also important to ensure good quality olives are delivered to the mills.

Traceability and quality systems

FAO and the EBRD plan to build on these efforts. Together with Interprolive and the MAPM, they are focusing on adopting traceability systems and promoting the quality of Moroccan olive oils.

“Good quality olive oil starts with olive production, but there is good potential to increase quality through traceability systems that cover all the steps along the value chain. We have been discussing with key stakeholders how to put such systems in place,” said Ahmed Khannoufi, Director of Interprolive.

Better traceability can help Morocco raise the international profile of its olive oils, and by highlighting the unique properties and quality of their products, producers can improve their market access.

“Morocco’s per capita domestic olive oil consumption vis-à-vis most other Mediterranean countries is still low. With economic growth and a young population, the domestic market is a good platform for local companies and cooperatives to build upon as they seek to increase exports,” said Nuno Santos, an FAO economist. “Setting up innovative and efficient quality control systems in Morocco can help raise the credibility of local produce with Moroccan and international consumers.”

Giovanni Martellini, part of the FAO/EBRD team and head of quality in Oliveti d'Italia, one of Italy's largest and most important consortia of olive growers, cooperatives, oil mills and producer associations, spoke of the running debate on how best to educate consumers on olive oil quality.

“It can be difficult to adequately communicate product quality, but there is a great opportunity for Morocco to further develop a locally adapted quality label system, which continues to respect the International Olive Oil Council and other key international regulations,“ he said.

FAO and the EBRD will continue to promote public private dialogue and cooperation for a stronger, more productive and competitive sector in Morocco.