Posted by Janet Kanters on 02 March 2023
Netafim opens irrigation manufacturing plant in Morocco
Netafim, an Orbia business and a leader in precision agriculture solutions, has opened its first manufacturing plant in North Africa to enhance the implementation of precision irrigation in Morocco.
Morocco is a rapidly expanding agricultural hub in North Africa. Netafim stated that Morocco’s government initiatives include developing a million hectares of agricultural land while conserving water and creating 350,000 jobs for young people as part of the country’s “Green Morocco” and “Green Generation 2020-2030” plans, to support and modernize the agricultural sector.
A drought in 2022 led the United Nations to warn that water shortages will cost the region up to 14 percent of its GDP by 2050: the largest estimated loss to GDP due to water scarcity in the world. Netafim stated its precision irrigation technologies are ideal for use in arid conditions, maximizing yields while conserving resources.
According to Gaby Miodownik, executive vice president and president of Orbia’s precision agriculture business (Netafim), the company’s sustainable farming practices will help the Moroccan people and the wider region achieve prosperity and agricultural resilience. “Opening this plant is both the culmination of our investment in the region and a gateway to further expansion,” noted Miodownik. “We are proud to support the ‘Green Morocco’ and ‘Green Generation’ plans championed by the government to realize the potential of Morocco’s diverse and rich natural landscape and climate.”
Gal Yarden, senior vice president of Netafim’s EMEA division said the factory is located in the Kenitra region of Morocco, enabling farmers in the country and across North Africa “to derive enormous benefit from precision irrigation. Netafim will provide local farmers with our state-of-the-art products and services, and share our agronomic and technical expertise for greater yields and long-term sustainable agriculture practices.”
Read the NOV/DEC 2022 issue of New AG International’s leading quarterly title, here.