Reviewing Agricultural Trade Policies
To Promote Intra-OIC Agricultural Trade
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OIC-Morocco agricultural trade relations and intra-OIC agricultural trade
The OIC as a whole is not self-sufficient in certain products such as cereals, meat, and dairy
products but self-sufficient in some other products such as oils (e.g. palm oil) and fruits.
Therefore, promoting intra-OIC agricultural trade emerges as an important agricultural trade
policy objective. The OIC member countries should envision and take action for being partners
in agricultural trade, not competitors. In some agricultural products, the OIC countries are price
competitors against some non-OIC importers.
In contrast to the past decades, Morocco is nowmuch more open to Sub-Saharan Africa in terms
of agricultural trade. There exist partnerships in the areas of fertilizers and phosphate, and this
may even open new doors in trade and cooperation. Morocco also offers scholarships and
training to African students, and Moroccan commercial banks are highly active in certain African
countries.
Food safety reasons and logistic problems are among the main constraints that adversely affect
the agricultural trade with the OIC member countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. There exists a good
potential of live animals to be imported from Niger and Somalia, for instance. But health
concerns and the lack of economic transportation opportunities remain as two binding
constraints. Transportation is a particularly strong barrier that implies large freight costs for
the landlocked countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Climatic conditions, and especially the drought years, differ across the OIC countries located in
North Africa. Thus, coordinating the production support and trade policy decisions elastically to
ensure a minimum level of food consumption in these countries is seen as an opportunity for
food security.
Fish and fish products are seen as key agricultural products regarding the Morocco-OIC
agricultural trade relationships. Morocco has a great potential to supply fish products to the OIC
but the trade flow should reach a critical mass.