- silence

- The second annual conference of Mediterranean agriculture that groups together the farmers from the entire Mediterranean region

- took place in Mohamedia, in Morocco.

- We already gave an account of it in our previous editions.

- But our FR3 team that was there wanted to observe more precisely how this agriculture in Morocco works,

- and we will see what it does, this agriculture, with a certain numbers of contrasts, following Suzanne de Morlond and Albert Saladie.

- Those fortified citadels of the kashbahs of which bulwarks merges with the shaped landscape of the Atlas, remain the symbol of ancestral agricultural traditions.

- Some herds of dromedaries and sheep criss-cross the dry plateaus, a secular vision of Morocco where agriculture helps small farmers to survive.

- Moreover, there is dynamic, ambitious agriculture, embodied by rich owners who generally own from 2 to 3 farms, and a few hundreds of hectares.

- One can find the traditional cultures of citrus fruit, but also peach trees, apple trees and milk cows.

- The exportations of early fruits and vegetables is constantly increasing, making with phosphates that master cards of foreign trade

- and a secured income for the farmers who do mixed farming on a large scale.

- People move more and more,

- farmers move, they go to international fairs, to see a bit of all the new techniques, and the new methods.

- So it took another turn,

- he is no more a farmer, he really is a gentleman farmer, it is business.

- This change in Moroccan agriculture manifests itself at every level.

- From a market gardener who grows on a patch of land field grown vegetables and sells his products on the town market

- to a traditional farmer who is getting modernized

- and develops a greengrocer’s production under plastic tunnels, a spending of 550,000 to 600,000 Francs but it is possible to benefit from government’s helps.

- The farmer has different possibilities and means.

- Does it now amount to more?

- Now from the point of view of profitability, there is an improvement.

- Beyond the helps for the diversification of cultures and investments, the government exempted farmers from taxes up to the year 2000.

- Finally, a multiplicity of offices set in every farming region secures a permanent frame to farmers.

- A number of elements that push many young people to stay on their land.

- I worked for architects, I did apprenticeships for some times

- and I discovered that that was not my domain. And now I am back,

- I told myself, ‘Well! My father owns a farm, a domain of interest for me,’

- and as I lived for a while in Brazil, I saw different haciendas, different farms, very interesting people, and I socialized with people who were very close to the land.

- Farming of Morocco’s future. In the time being, it is what is being pushed by everyone.

- Farmer is the best. I mean, we have no tax, there are loans.

- We have everything we need to start, even for those who can’t afford it.