Souss-Massa: an SDR Dedicated to Agricultural Innovation

The Souss-Massa Regional Council, the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, the Ministry of the Interior, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services, and the Regional Agricultural Chamber have decided to join forces in the “Agricultural Innovation” joint venture. This regional development company will have a capital of $494,000 (5 MDH).

In total, the Souss-Massa region will soon have four regional development companies (SDR), if we include SDR Aghroud Aménagement, which is still awaiting activation for the implementation of the future eponymous seaside resort north of Agadir. During the extraordinary session held last Thursday in Agadir, the Regional Council validated the status of the “Agricultural Innovation” company, based on article 145 of the organic law relating to the regions.

With a capital of 5 MDH, it will be created by five shareholders. The Souss-Massa Regional Council will hold 49,992 of the 50,000 shares. The remaining shares will be held by the Institut agronomique et vétérinaire Hassan II – via the Complexe horticole d’Agadir (CHA) – which will have 5 shares, the Ministry of the Interior, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services (CCIS-Souss-Massa) and the Chambre régionale agricole Souss-Massa (one share each).

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Four main missions

In detail, the SDR “Agricultural Innovation” has set its sights on four main missions within the territorial jurisdiction of the Souss-Massa region, in accordance with article n°3 defining the corporate name of this new SDR. The main objective is to manage pilot projects under the 25-hectare experimental farm at the Agadir Horticultural Complex.

The farm will serve as a regional platform for knowledge and technology transfer, as part of the process of structuring the farm to support the transformation of the current production and value-added model.

This project is part of CHA’s Strategic Vision 2023-2033, which encompasses four other support structures already in place. These are, on the one hand, the Horticultural Center of Excellence and the incubator dedicated to agri-business projects.

Secondly, the restructuring of the experimental station into a 25-hectare experimental farm, and the creation of a consortium for agricultural research, development, and innovation (RDI) in the Souss-Massa region. The future SDR will also be responsible for developing a digital agricultural innovation ecosystem, managing incubators and scientific research laboratories, and creating and managing an agricultural museum.

Waiting for the green light from the Ministry of the Interior

Funding for these training, research, and innovation support structures has already been finalized. They will amount to $39.5 million (400 MDH) with a financing agreement from the World Bank. The future Board of Directors of SDR “Agricultural Innovation” will be headed by the President of the Souss-Massa Regional Council.

Depending on the company’s status, it will comprise between 3 and 12 members. Once the statutes of the SDR “Agricultural Innovation” have been validated at the end of this extraordinary session, the company will need to receive the green light from the Ministry of the Interior and its visa before registration in the commercial register. This step will be completed once the excerpt from the minutes containing the Board’s decision on the future appointment of the Managing Director has been published, and the first meeting of the company’s Board of Directors has been held.

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(Featured image by MabelAmber via Pixabay)

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First published in LES ECO.ma. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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