Mauritania, the one million square kilometer country in northwest Africa, aims to join the club of major origins of fresh produce. This ambition is justified by the country's significant untapped potential, its need for self-sufficiency, and a widespread enthusiasm for cultivation. This is the vision shared by Aichetou Taffa, Director of Agricultural Investment and Export Promotion at the National Society for Rural Development.
There's a lot of appetite to invest in agriculture in Mauritania," says Aichetou, "My country is endowed with vast arable land, enormous water reserves, and a diversified climate that's conducive to a wide range of crops. The national dynamic is underway, with multiple parties in action, led by the government and Sonader under its supervision, mobilized to prepare the ground and to welcome investors in Mauritania"
Up until now, Mauritania has been known in the international fresh produce market for its watermelons, whose early calendars make them among the first to arrive in Europe every season. Aichetou says: "This experience has been fruitful, with Mauritanian players in the watermelon and melon industry pioneering the export of fresh produce and paving the way for other products. The industry has also welcomed foreign investors from several countries who have set up operations in Mauritania. But there's more than just watermelons: the Mauritanian alternative can be serious and reliable in the future for many products that the market needs, such as early vegetables and fruit."
Aichetou Taffa at Fruit Attraction 2024
"We place a great deal of emphasis on horticulture and consider it a priority sector, as it is vital to our domestic food security. However, from an economic point of view, the local market is limited and insufficient to justify investment in horticulture and other strategic crops such as cereals. This is why exporting is a necessity, as well as an opportunity to position ourselves on the global market as a source of large volumes of fresh produce, alongside other countries in the region with similar assets, such as Morocco and Egypt," Aichetou continues.
According to Aichetou, the country has made great strides in agricultural development for export: "The port of Nouakchott is undergoing big-scale work to upgrade it. Sonader, for its part, has completed the reclamation of tens of thousands of hectares of arable land, and thousands of kilometers of irrigation canals, alongside the training of a large number of growers and cooperatives. We coordinate the participation of Mauritanian exporters in major trade fairs such as Fruit Logistica and Fruit Attraction to overcome the lack of origin awareness."
"So far, investors from several countries, notably Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, France, and Sudan, grow fresh produce in Mauritania. We are preparing the ground for more growers, and ensuring that we provide a platform for exporters. This work is framed by the identification of priority sectors (crops) where the contribution of technology and know-how is very important," Aichetout concludes.
For more information:
Aichetou Taffa
National Society for Rural Development - Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
+222 43 45 45 60
aichetou.taffa@sonader.mr