Amid rising tensions in Ghafsai, Taounate province, Moroccan authorities held two days of emergency meetings this week with farmers from cannabis cooperatives demanding payment of overdue dues from a company contracted to collect and process legal cannabis crops.
The meetings followed protests outside the provincial government offices earlier this week.
According to sources cited by Hespress, the first meeting was held Tuesday evening and chaired by the regional director of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities (ANRAC), alongside the secretary general of the Taounate prefecture. Around 60 protesting farmers, representing 11 cooperatives contracted with the company in 2024, participated.
A second meeting on Wednesday included a representative of the company in question. Both sides agreed to a preliminary plan involving phased payments of overdue amounts, with the goal of reaching a full settlement in the near future.
Official data shows the company signed contracts with 337 farmers in 2024. That number rose to 577 this year, spanning 12 cooperatives. Authorities attributed payment delays to temporary financial and logistical constraints. Farmers, however, insist on contractual compliance, warning of further unrest in Morocco’s newly legalized cannabis sector.
The farmers argue that the unpaid funds represent the result of months of labor and investment during a challenging growing season.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.