A high-level Moroccan delegation wrapped up a weeklong trade mission to the United States (June 22–28), aimed at strengthening agricultural ties and exploring new trade opportunities. The visit was hosted by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), as part of efforts to deepen cooperation between Morocco and the U.S. in the agri-food sector, NASDA said in a press release on Wednesday. «This visit was an important step in further strengthening agricultural ties between Morocco and the U.S.», said NASDA CEO Ted McKinney. «It's clear there is a strong appetite on both sides to build long-term trade relationships grounded in shared values and innovation». The program, organized in California under the USDA's Regional Agricultural Promotion Program, followed NASDA's January 2024 mission to Morocco, where Moroccan officials expressed keen interest in expanding partnerships. The June visit gave Moroccan public and private sector leaders a close-up view of American agricultural innovation, with stops that included the Salinas Biological Summit and meetings with California Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. The Moroccan delegation also visited Sierra Orchards, a regenerative organic-certified farm, the Port of Oakland to study logistics and regulatory standards, and the University of California, Davis, where faculty presented advances in soil health, water use efficiency, and biotechnology. Discussions throughout the mission focused on shared priorities such as food safety, AI in agriculture, drought resilience, regulatory alignment, and high-value crops like almonds, tree nuts, and citrus. A roundtable hosted by the Almond Board of California delved into trade opportunities in almond production. Participants included senior officials from Morocco's food safety authority, and executives from leading companies such as Stellar International Enterprises, AMA Holding, Moulins Atlantic, and Mundiriz. Representatives from the Kansas and New Mexico agriculture departments and the Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association also contributed to the program. The mission was organized in collaboration with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service in Rabat, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Almond Board of California.
