UAE Group Plans $38 Million Moroccan Farm, Its Eighth in the Country
Elite Agro Holding has announced plans for a 400-hectare agricultural project in Morocco focused on blueberries, mandarins and avocados. The UAE-based group plans to invest 140 million UAE dirhams, or about $38.1 million, in what would be its eighth farm in the kingdom.
After seven farms, Elite Agro Holding is preparing to establish another operation in Morocco. The group announced a memorandum of understanding with the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID) at Global Food Week, held in Abu Dhabi from October 6 to 8. The project involves a farm of about 400 hectares, named Sidi Yehia Farm, reports Gulf Today.
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Three crops are planned: blueberries, mandarins and avocados. The produce is intended for the Moroccan market and international outlets. The agreement thus links the group’s expansion in the kingdom with a fruit supply aimed at several markets.
The investment announced for Morocco amounts to 140 million UAE dirhams. It is part of a 660 million-dirham program spread across three countries: 440 million for Mauritania and 80 million for the United Arab Emirates, in addition to the Moroccan investment.
Elite Agro and the AAAID jointly presented the two African projects, which cover around 9,300 hectares. The larger area is in Mauritania, at about 8,900 hectares, compared with 400 in Morocco. The partnership in Morocco is for the development of an eighth farm.
Morocco, an established production base
The group already has a network of farms in the kingdom, developed by its subsidiary Elite Harvest Maroc. In June, it opened its seventh farm in Kénitra, a 200-hectare site devoted to blueberries and raspberries.
Its chief executive, Hassan Halawy, described Morocco at the time as the group’s largest production hub for soft fruit. The farm opened in Kénitra uses modern irrigation systems and serves both Moroccan and foreign markets.
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The group’s presence extends beyond soft fruit. Elite Harvest Maroc also grows pomegranates, apples, pears, grapes and citrus fruit. Its sites are spread across several regions, including Kénitra, Fès, Béni Mellal, Sefrou, Marrakech and Benslimane.
At the June opening, Elite Agro said it had invested more than 500 million UAE dirhams directly in Morocco. The group said its Moroccan operations had created more than 8,000 jobs.
