Agri-EPI Centre has announced a significant agreement with Morocco’s agri-innovation agency to develop agri-tech innovation.

Agri-EPI, the precision farming specialists, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the agency, Pôle Digital de l’Agriculture, at SIAM, Morocco’s international agriculture exhibition, at which the United Kingdom is guest of honour.

The MOU commits both parties to work together to identify the main challenges facing farming in Morocco and align potential UK agri-innovations and collaborations to resolve them. The parties will facilitate mutual market access for agri-tech testing and provision, and identify opportunities for research and development, including on-farm trials.

SIAM is taking place in Meknes from 2-7 May, with Agri-EPI Centre and members and collaborators, Continental Engineering, Alvatech and the University of Bedfordshire demonstrating their technology and taking part in panel sessions on water scarcity, agri-tech and machinery, and research and development. Agri-EPI Centre is on a pavilion hosted by the Department of Business and Trade Team from the British Embassy in Morocco.

Jane Lycett, Agri-EPI Centre international business development manager, said:

“The scope for the UK and Morocco to address critical challenges for sustainable food production is enormous, and we are looking forward greatly to working with our colleagues at the Pôle Digital.

“The SIAM event is an excellent platform to showcase the UK’s world-leading agri-tech developments to Morocco and to the many other countries represented there. Morocco’s appetite for agricultural innovation and technology development is huge. The Agri-EPI Centre staff, members and collaborators attending SIAM have greatly beneficial expertise in crop technology, water management and irrigation.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

According to the MOU, Agri-EPI Centre and the Pôle Digital de l’Agriculture will:

· Work together to identify the main challenges facing the agriculture sector in Morocco. Align potential UK agri-tech solutions and facilitate UK/Morocco collaborations to address these.

· Facilitate Moroccan agri-tech providers UK market-entry through accessing Agri EPI Centre’s facilities, expertise, networks and wider UK business support mechanisms.

· Seek to address any barriers to the adoption of agri-tech in Morocco. Support UK companies to collaborate in-country to trial, test and adapt relevant agri-technologies to suit the specific challenges and farming systems. Demonstrate their impact to showcase the benefits of agri-tech adoption to the wider farming community.

· Jointly assist those operating in the Moroccan agri-tech ecosystem to identify R&D collaboration and commercial opportunities in the UK.

· Through working with Pôle Digital, identify key collaborators in the Moroccan agri-tech ‘ecosystem’ – including industry bodies, academia, centres of excellence, research institutes and farmers – with an interest in, and infrastructure in place, to conduct on-farm trials and participate in collaborations with agri-technology companies.

For more information on SIAM, please visit: SIAM 15th Edition 2023 | International Exhibition of Agriculture in Morocco (salon-agriculture.ma)