Agadir – Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mazzour inaugurated a new pasteurized milk production unit on Friday in Kenitra, taking a step towards strengthening Morocco’s agri-food industry.
The agricultural cooperative EXTRALAIT launched the project, with regional officials, local authorities, and stakeholders attending.
The project, valued at MAD 108 million ($10.8 million), is expected to generate 139 direct jobs. It was developed as “part of the contractual program for the development of food industries supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade,” the ministry said.
It also seeks to boost the cooperative’s market presence and diversify its products through the establishment of a new pasteurized milk unit and the modernization of yogurt and butter production lines across the country.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mazzour pointed to the cooperative’s long-standing development trajectory, describing it as “a national model to follow.”
He noted that over 70 years, EXTRALAIT has succeeded in bringing together nearly 12,000 small-scale breeders across 44 cooperatives and 57 milk collection centers.
The minister emphasized that these breeders have demonstrated, “through solidarity and self-effort,” their ability to build a production system that meets international standards.
He added that “the establishment of this new unit will strengthen a key pillar of national food sovereignty.”
For his part, Youssef Lakbida, the Director of Food Industries said that this project is an “important investment project, which aims to increase the cooperative’s production capacity, modernize and develop its production lines, and diversify its products.”
Lakbida further explained the primary objective behind such projects, saying that it strengthens the milk production chain, given the important role it plays in the food system.
It provides a stable source of income for thousands of farmers and cattle breeders across the various regions of the country, and contributes significantly to national food security, in line with Morocco’s national strategy.
