Mec program : New grants to be signed with four beneficiaries in the Oriental region

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 6, 2012 -- The Morocco Economic Competitiveness program (MEC) of the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) will sign four (4) new grants to support local development in the Oriental region.

The signing ceremony will be held on October 26, 2011 in Berkane. In attendance will be representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries, USAID, the MEC program and the four grant beneficiaries: Laayoune agricultural cooperative and the association Plan Maroc Vert pour le Développement Agricole, based in Berkane, the Amal El Waha association, based in Figuig, and the firm Oued Za, based in Taourirt.

Through the MEC program, USAID is helping to develop these projects by providing 5.35 million Dirhams of funding and technical assistance directly to beneficiaries.

The projects participating in this grant were selected as part of a call for proposals for their social and economic interests, through the development of job-creating agricultural and industrial activities.

Three projects concern the support of agricultural cooperatives to adopt new irrigation water saving technologies. A fourth project deals with the diversification of dairy products and the aggregation development.

The projects will be funded and implemented through a partnership between the beneficiaries, USAID (through the MEC program) and the Agriculture Development Fund (FDA).

USAID’s MEC program aims to fund 12 development projects in the Doukkala-Abda and Oriental regions by late 2012. These projects will be selected primarily based on their economic and social impact as well as their innovative nature.

The MEC program aims to reduce barriers to increased trade and investment in Morocco, through support for reforms, capacity building of government institutions and private sector engagement.

More information on the program and its grant mechanism can be found at www. mecprogram.ma

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