The 15th edition of the International Date Fair, SIDATTES 2026, has commenced in Erfoud, Morocco. The event brings together 230 exhibitors from 19 countries to promote the country's date palm industry and explore new opportunities for agricultural development. The five-day fair, which runs until November 1, is expected to welcome around 100,000 visitors.
Morocco's Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, Khalid Hatimy, inaugurated the symposium, which is taking place under the theme "Date Palm and Innovation: Opportunities for Integrated Territorial Development." Hatimy emphasized the strategic importance of the fair for food security and regional development. He described it as more than an agricultural or commercial gathering.
Hatimy outlined several priorities, including strengthening the date production chain, generating employment opportunities for young people, and encouraging residents to remain in oasis regions. He also addressed Morocco's dependence on imported dates, explaining that domestic production remains below national consumption. The Moroccan market consumes between 200,000 and 250,000 tonnes of dates, while the country produces 170,000 tonnes.
The minister stressed the importance of regulating imports, including their quantities and countries of origin, while protecting public and private investments in domestic production. He also highlighted the need to improve cooling, storage, packaging, and processing facilities to strengthen the industry's competitiveness. This will help ensure reasonable prices for consumers while enabling Moroccan producers to access international markets.
The fair serves as a platform connecting farmers, cooperatives, researchers, investors, and agricultural institutions to encourage partnerships and modernize the date palm industry. The event covers 40,000 square meters, including 11,000 square meters dedicated to exhibition stands. Its opening-day program includes discussions on agricultural technologies in oasis regions.
Upcoming activities at the fair feature scientific conferences, an investment forum, and workshops on food safety and sustainable production. Morocco's Green Generation 2020-2030 strategy prioritizes developing the date palm industry through modern irrigation, improved production techniques, and support for cooperatives. The strategy aims to raise national date production to 300,000 tonnes annually by 2030.
The fair will continue through Sunday, offering producers and agricultural businesses opportunities to explore partnerships, promote Moroccan dates, and address the challenges facing the country's oasis regions. This aligns with Hatimy's call for tighter controls on date imports to support domestic production and boost the industry's competitiveness.
Key points
- Morocco's domestic date production is currently below national consumption, with the country producing 170,000 tonnes against a consumption of 200,000 to 250,000 tonnes.
- The Green Generation 2020-2030 strategy aims to increase national date production to 300,000 tonnes annually by 2030.
- The SIDATTES 2026 fair in Erfoud brings together 230 exhibitors from 19 countries to promote Morocco's date palm industry.
