As the world is celebrating this May 10 first- ever International Argan Tree Day, Morocco announced plans to speed up the process of planting argan trees to meet a growing international demand for argan oil and byproducts due to their health benefits. So, 50,000 hectares will be planted with argan trees by 2030 in the North African Kingdom, announced Monday Moroccan minister of agriculture Aziz Akhannouch. The celebration of the “International Argan Tree Day” was proclaimed by the United Nations under a resolution presented by Morocco and co-sponsored by 113 member states. In 2014, all the know-how concerning the Argan tree was included in the prestigious list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. There are in Morocco over 500 cooperatives operating in the argan oil and by-products market.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 11, 2021 12:11 UTC