Morocco has given the green light to Argentina to start importing frozen bovine semen to the Kingdom. The decision was taken last week after the signing of an agreement between Argentina's Ministry of Agroindustry and ONSSA. Morocco will soon start importing Argentinian frozen bovine semen. The decision was taken on Friday, December the 14th, after a delegation from Buenos Aires visited the Kingdom to discuss the deal. According to Argentinian online newspaper Mundo Grocba, an official meeting was attended, the same day, by Argentina's Under-Secretary of Agriculture Markets Ministry of Agroindustry Jesus Silveyra and officials from the National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA). During this meeting, officials from the two countries signed an agreement to allow imports of Argentinian frozen bovine semen, bovine embryo, and frozen bubaline into Morocco. New opportunities Commenting on this agreement, Argentina's Minister of Agribusiness Luis Miguel Etchevehere highlighted «the importance of entering new markets», including the Moroccan one. For the official, the new deal with Rabat emphasizes the «role [his] country plays as a reliable food provider and a leader in the agro-industrial sector». Accompanied by Argentina's ambassador to Morocco Maria Fernanda Canas, the meeting was an opportunity for the Latin American delegation to spotlight the country's agricultural perspectives and production. Argentinian officials discussed the possibility of exporting other products, including raw materials and additives for animal feed. These products include corn gluten meal, chickpea, white hake, prawns and beef tallow. The two parties agreed to study the possibility of sharing expertise in the agricultural sector through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and Argentina's Ministry of Agroindustry, reported the same source. Exploring new markets The deal between Argentina and Morocco is not the first of its kind. In July 2018, Argentina announced that is has been given the go-ahead to start exporting «edible beef fat» to Morocco. The Latin American country is Morocco's fifth food supplier. More than 98% of the country's imports are agro-industrial, including products such as corn, soybean oil, soy flour, wheat and frozen beef. In 2017, more than 2 million tons of agro-industrial products were imported from Brazil, for a total amount of USD497 92 million. For the record, Morocco has given the green light to several foreign importers in the agri-food industry in the last couple of months. Authorities in the Kingdom agreed to allow imports of US beef and beef products into the country, earlier this month. It is the first time that American beef producers have access to the Moroccan market, especially that the decision was taken only a few months after Rabat allowed the entry of US poultry imports. More recently, the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumers' Rights Protection has signed a veterinary certificate with Morocco for exporting Ukrainian egg products to the Kingdom.
