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Post-AGM Tours
Following the AGM, additional field visits are being organized by INRA.
Payment information and sign up forms are to be faxed to Morocco at: (+212) 44 30 18 31
Prices quoted are Moroccan Dirhams.
Sign up form and price information - PDF format
Tour No 1: Marrakech-Beni Mellal. Night at Beni Mellal . Two days
Summary:
The tour will provide insight on research related to irrigated agriculture, water resources and irrigation management and optimization of water use carried out by INRA (National Institut of Agronomic research) and ORMVAT (Regional Office for Agricultural Development of Tadla Irrigated Perimeter). Participants will have an opportunity to learn more about the integrated strategies implemented for managing water resources available across Oum Rabiia basin. Participants will visit Afourer Research Station which is famous worldwide for being birth site of famous Nadorcott mandarin and for its breeding program for new breeds of sheep. Research and development partnership will be approached trough collaboration with ORMVAT, Regional agency for Agricultural Development, the Tadla livestock Association for animal production improvement, and trough private farmers for technology transfer. This tour will provide opportunity to drive through the beautiful western side of the Middle Atlas Mountains, visit the marvellous cascades of Ouzoud, and the historical and panoramic sites surrounding Beni Mellal city which is well known for its harmonious mixture of Arabic and Berber cultures.
Program:
Friday 9 December 2005
| 07:30 |
Departure from Marrakech |
| 09:30-10:30 |
Visit Ouzoud cascades |
| 11:00 |
Stop at Bin El Widane dam, the first dam to be built in Morocco |
| 12:00-12:30 |
Stop for a panoramic View of Tadla irrigated perimeter:
Presentation of the Regional Office for Agricultural Development of Tadla (ORMVAT) irrigated Perimeter and the project for recycling water for electricity production. |
13:00-14:30
|
Lunch |
| 14:30-16:00 |
Visit of the National Institut Of Agronomic Research (INRA)Tadla Regional Centre: Presentations of research programs and activities, visit citrus collection and a citrus drip irrigation trial. |
| 16:30-17:30 |
Visit Tadla Livestock Association |
| 18:00 |
Arrival and night at Beni Mellal
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Saturday 10 December 2005
08:00 |
Departure from the Hotel |
| 08:30-09:30 |
Presentation of Oum Rabiaa Water Basin Agency activities |
| 10:30-12:30 |
Visit ORMVAT irrigated perimeter |
| 13:00-14:30 |
Lunch |
| 15:00 |
Departure to Casablanca |
| 18:00 |
Arrival and night at Casablanca. |
Tour N°2 : Marrakech-Essaouira. Two days
Summary:
The tour will provide a unique opportunity to visit Essaouira city and learn about its agriculture and its NGOs active in rural development. Essaouira is one of North Africa‘s most beautiful cities and offers a mixture of Portuguese, French, and Berber architecture. Its handcraft is rich and diversified. Essaouira craftsmen produce delicate marquetry in lemon, cedar and sandalwood. Participants will enjoy a cruise to Mogador island, a specific site for seagull reproduction.
Essaouira has an exceptional microclimate favourable for cereals, fruit trees, vegetables, goats and forest productions. Participants will visit internationally known cooperatives for honey, argan oil, medicinal and aromatic plants, and a private farm producing olive oil and wine.
Participants will also have a golden opportunity to visit the beautiful Ourika Valley and a bio aromatic production and transformation unit. Panoramic views and traditional food served in exceptional site at this valley make it one of the preferred destinations.
Friday 9 December 2005
| 07:00 |
Departure from Marrakech |
| 10:00-12:30 |
Visit the Provincial Agricultural Directorate of Essaouira (DPA) |
Program
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- Presentation of agricultural development activities
- Presentation of UNESCO world reserve of biosphere for Argan tree protection
- Overview of National and international programs for argan tree protection and valorization
- Visit Ajeddigue Women Cooperative for the production of Argan oil (30 Km south of Essaouira)
|
| 13:00-14:30 |
Lunch |
| 15:00-18:00 |
Visit old city and a cruise to Mogador Island (specific place of the seagull reproduction) |
| 18:30 |
Arrival at Hotel and Night at Essaouira |
Saturday 10 December 2005
| 08:00 |
Departure from Essaouira |
| 08:30-9:30 |
Visit LE VAL D’ARGAN Farm for Wine and Olive oil production |
| 10:00 |
Departure to Ourika Valley |
| 12:30-15:00 |
Lunch and visit Ourika Valley |
| 15:00-16:00 |
Visit a bio aromatic field production and transformation unit (Nectarome) |
| 16:30 |
Departure to Marrakech |
| 18:00 |
Arrival and night at Marrakech |
Tour N°3 : Marrakech-Settat-Rabat-El Menzeh. Two days
Summary:
The tour will provide insight of Moroccan experience in dryland agriculture. Participants will learn about extensive research conducted over 25 years in the Settat dryland research Centre with the collaboration of Midamerica International Agricultural Consortium of five universities. Conservation agriculture, cereals and food legume improvement for drought and pest resistance, socio economic studies, natural resource management, crop management are priority areas where available information will be presented. Participants will visit the national gene bank built to house 60 000 accessions.
Participants will drive trough Casablanca, a business capital of increasing importance, and visit Hassan II mosque, a gem of religious architecture of incomparable beauty, subtly mixing Moroccan tradition with state of the art technology, and with a prayer room large enough to hold 25 000 worshippers and an esplanade for further 80000.
Participants will spend the night at Rabat, the Kingdom’s capital, set in a rich, amber coloured landscape, elegantly combining an ancient history with modern culture. They will stop at the INRA regional Centre of Rabat and at the Agronomic and Veterinary Sciences Institute Hassan II.
Participants will also visit the El Menzeh research Station located 50 km north of Rabat. This Station is famous for its 40 years old research program on citrus, including world citrus collections of over 600 varieties and cultivars. Most of the 72 000 ha of citrus orchards in Morocco are planted from plant material produced in El Menzeh. A summary of major research achievements will be presented.
Program:
F riday 9 December 2005
| 07:00 |
Departure from Marrakech |
| 09:30-10:30 |
Visit Cooperative Khemisset Chaouia (INRA+NGO FERT+DPA) |
| 10:30-12:30 |
Visit INRA Regional Centre of Settat
- General presentation;
- Visit Hessian fly laboratory, Ag mechanization laboratory, Gene bank and biotechnology, and animal production;
- Poster presentation of Partnership, Agronomy and agro climatology, Diversification, Innovation adoption and impact, gender issues.
|
| 12:30-14:00 |
Lunch |
| 14:00-15:30 |
Visit CAM Sidi El Aydi, a private company for Grain storage and marketing |
| 16:30-17:30 |
Guided visit to Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca |
| 18:30 |
Arrival and night at Rabat |
Saturday December 10, 2005
| 8:00 |
Departure from Hotel |
| 8:30-9:30 |
Visit Biotechnology Laboratories, INRA regional Centre of Rabat .
General presentation
- Visit biotechnology laboratories
- Poster presentation on land suitability mapping, agro climatology, Crop improvement, Food technology, animal and forage production
|
| 10:00-11:30 |
Visit Hassan II Agronomic and veterinary Institute |
| 11:45 |
Departure to El Menzeh |
| 13:00-14:30 |
Lunch |
| 14:30-16:00 |
Visit INRA El Menzeh Citrus research station
- General presentation
- Visit citrus collections and field trials |
| 16:30 |
Departure to Casablanca |
| 18:30 |
Arrival and night at Casablanca |
Tour No 4: Marrakech-Ouarzazate-Zagora-Merzouga-Errachidia-Fes.
Summary:
The tour will provide an insight on research achievements in the oasian systems including date palm improvement and agronomy practices as well as animal production. Participants will enjoy a splendid combination of panoramic views of High Atlas Mountains, verdant oases valleys (Draa, Ziz and Dades), lofty Ksours, sumptuous Kasbah, and sand dunes. They will stop along the oases valleys to witness: agro-biodiversity, date palm Bayoud disease; water and soil salinity problems; water harvesting and distribution structures, sand invasion sites and techniques to combat desertification . Specific visits will cover Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou (UNESCO word heritage) , Ouarzazate cinematography center, Zagora Research Station (Date palm genetic resources collections, Bayoud trials), Ternata oasis, Tazarin dam, Desertification control structures, Merzouga touristic site ( Panoramic view of sunrise and sand dunes), INRA Errachidia research station (Prolific sheep “D’man” breed), and ORMVAT (Regional Organization for Agricultural development).
For those who can stay one more day, they will have the golden opportunity to visit the imperial city of Fes, famous for its old city ( medina) and original handcraft. The participants will visit a private modern tissue culture laboratory for date palm multiplication using palm stock developed by INRA. They will have the opportunity to learn about INRA research programs in the region and about the “Ecole National d’Agriculture” (ENA) graduate study and research programs.
Program:
Friday 9 December 2005
| 07:30 |
Departure from Marrakech |
| 08:30-09:30 |
Stop at Toufliht hunting ground and presentation of the fauna and flora in the region |
| 10:30-11:00 |
Stop at Taddart and coffee break |
| 11:30 |
Stop at Col Tichka (Panoramic view on high Atlas Mountains) |
| 13:00-14:30 |
Visit of Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou and lunch |
| 15:00-16:00 |
Visit Ouarzazate cinematography centre |
| 16:30 |
Departure to Zagora |
| 19:00 |
Arrival and night at Zagora |
Saturday 10 December 2005
| 08:15 |
Departure from Hotel |
| 08:30-10:30 |
Visit INRA Zagora Experimental Station (Date palm genetic resources collection, Bayoud trials, etc…) |
| 11:00-11:30 |
Visit Zaouyet Al Fath pilote farm/INRA varieties of date palm |
| 12:00-12:30 |
Panoramic view of Ternata oasis with comments on oasian ecosystem and Draa valley civilisation and dynasties |
| 13:00-14:30 |
Lunch |
| 14:30 |
Departure from Zagora to Merzouga
- Stop 1: Visit of desertification control structures
- Stop 2: Tazarine Dam |
| 08:30 |
Arrival and Night at Merzouga |
Sunday 11 December 2005
:
| 5:30-6:30 |
Panoramic view of sunrise and sand dunes |
| 7:00-8:00 |
Breakfast |
| 08:00 |
Departure to Errachidia |
| 09:00-10:00 |
Visit INRA Errachidia station |
| 10:30-12:30 |
Visit perimeter of ORMVA Tafilalet Errachidia and m eet NG Os in the Tafilalet |
| 13:00-14:30 |
Lunch |
| 15:00 |
Group I: Stay and Night at Errachidia
Group II: Departure to Meknes, night at Meknes |
Monday 12 December 2005
Group I: Errachidia-Casablanca
| 6:00 |
Flight to Casablanca |
| 7:00 |
Arrival at Casablanca |
Group II: Fes- Casablanca
| 08:00 |
Departure from Hotel |
| 08:30-9:30 |
Visit Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknes |
| 10:00-11:00 |
Visit Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory/ Domaine Agricole Al Bassatin |
| 12:00-17:00 |
Visit city of Fes and lunch |
| 17:00 |
Departure to Casablanca |
| 19:30 |
Arrival and night at Casablanca |
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