In Morocco’s Midelt province, a region long defined by its sprawling apple orchards, a quiet economic shift is under way. The National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) has stepped up support for local cooperatives, aiming to turn traditional apple farming into a genuine source of jobs and sustainable income for rural families.
The Ait Berhouane cooperative, founded in 2019, stands out as a clear example of this shift. Specializing in apple vinegar production, it now processes more than five tons of apples annually. Its chairman, Mohamed Berhouane, says the cooperative has diversified into jam and juice production as well, spreading its revenue streams beyond a single product. Notably, women make up roughly 80 percent of its members, a figure that speaks to how this kind of rural economic support is reshaping opportunities for women in Morocco’s mountain communities.
Another cooperative, Dayati, founded in 2018, tells a similar story. With INDH backing, the group financed new jobs and purchased equipment to produce apple juice and puree. Member Hassan Ait Rahou notes that the funding also went toward improving storage and marketing, two steps that are often the weak link for small agricultural producers working far from major urban markets.
Provincial officials say several cooperatives across different local production sectors have received comparable financial and technical assistance, part of a wider push to raise household incomes and draw young people into the local economy. The reported results are tangible: lower production costs, improved product quality, extra income for cooperative members, and new jobs that keep young workers in their home region rather than pushing them toward migration.
The approach reflects a broader INDH strategy that goes beyond simply funding raw agricultural output. By helping producers move into processing and packaging, the program aims to add value at every stage of the chain, not just at harvest. In a province like Midelt, where farming remains the backbone of the local economy, this shift toward value-added production could, over time, make rural households less exposed to the swings of weather and market prices that have long defined mountain agriculture in Morocco.