The Commissioner of the International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco (SIAM), Jaouad Chami, stated Sunday in Meknes that this year’s edition broke all records, exceeding all the goals the organizers had set.
“During this edition, we surpassed all the figures and goals we had previously set,” said Chami to the press at the closing of the 15th edition of SIAM, which was held under the theme “Green Generation: For a Sustainable Food Sovereignty.”
Chami reported that this edition hosted over 923 thousand visitors, which reflects “the interest that Moroccans attach to this exhibition,” noting that this year’s edition was spread over 18 hectares, up by 2% compared to 2019.
SIAM’s Commissioner further added that this edition saw the participation of 70 countries, compared to 60 countries in 2019, that exhibited in a stand covering over 16 thousand square meters, which “testifies to the importance of the stands set up and the quality of foreign delegations who visited the show.”
The Commissioner further stated that 500 cooperatives were present at the “local products” pole, including women-led and rural cooperatives, and excelled in their product’s quality, packaging, and communication methods, adding that almost 2 thousand breeders also exhibited Morocco’s most beautiful breeds and species in the breeding pole.
In a similar context, Chami shed light on the new “Village Start-ups” Pavilion, noting that the start-ups effectively showed that technology must be used in agricultural techniques, a fact that was highlighted during the 41 conferences of the exhibition, which addressed important issues such as food sovereignty.
In this regard, Chami added that almost 800 experts gathered to discuss food sovereignty and several other matters, noting that the exhibition was also marked by the signing of 19 program contracts between the government and stakeholders in the agricultural field to support the “Green Generation” strategy, subsequently representing a turning point at the level of national agriculture.
Emphasizing the importance of this edition, held after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chami underlined the need for professionals and producers to keep up with new methods and principles of production.
“SIAM is one of the largest global platforms for discussions on agricultural matters,” concluded Chami.