Crédit Agricole du Maroc Signs Several Deals at SIAM 2026 to Back Rural Finance
Marrakech – Groupe Crédit Agricole du Maroc (GCAM) signed at least eight partnership agreements on the sidelines of the 18th International Agriculture Fair (SIAM), held April 20-28 in Meknes.
Most of the deals, spanning rural financial education, green financing, international cooperation, agricultural mechanization, and electric mobility, were concluded in the presence of Agriculture Minister Ahmed El Bouari.
The first convention links GCAM, represented by Mustapha Chehhar, to the Regional Agriculture Directorate of the Oriental and the Directorate of Rural and Mountain Area Development. It falls under the PADERMO rural development project and aligns with Morocco’s Generation Green strategy.
The program targets 10,000 beneficiaries across 19 communes in the provinces of Oujda-Angad, Berkane, Driouch, and Guercif. It will deliver 400 training sessions over three years covering budget management, savings, and responsible borrowing. Women and young people are a stated priority.
An integrated sustainability mechanism
A second agreement was signed between GCAM Board Chairman Mohammed Fikrat and the Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture and Rural Development (COMADER), headed by Rachid Benali.
The partnership aims to build an integrated green financing mechanism to support Morocco’s agricultural sectors in their ecological transition, combining sustainable financing, technical capacity building, and improved climate resilience for farms.
On the international front, Fikrat signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Italy’s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), represented by Cristina Morelli. The agreement establishes a cooperation framework to identify and finance projects of mutual interest in Morocco, with a focus on high-impact initiatives.
It covers agriculture, agro-industry, renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and natural resource management. The MoU also provides for matchmaking initiatives between Moroccan and Italian companies to encourage partnerships, knowledge transfer, and access to new markets.
Reducing rural poverty
A letter of intent was also formalized with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), represented by Naoufel Telahigue, regional director for the Near East, North Africa, Europe, and Central Asia.
The agreement focuses on rural poverty reduction and joint initiatives, notably through the Agri-PDB platform, which brings together public development banks around sustainable agriculture. It also targets climate resilience for farming systems and financial inclusion for smallholders and vulnerable rural populations.
The fifth deal was struck with the Moroccan Association of Agricultural Equipment Importers (AMIMA). It seeks to strengthen an existing partnership by supporting workers in the mechanization sector through dedicated financing offers for individuals and professionals.
A sixth agreement brought GCAM together with Stellantis Maroc. The convention, carried through GCAM subsidiaries Tamwil El Fellah and ARDI Microfinance, facilitates financing for the FIAT TRIS, a three-wheeled electric utility vehicle manufactured at the Stellantis plant in Kenitra.
The deal targets small and medium farmers, cooperatives, and income-generating activity holders who do not qualify for conventional bank lending. The vehicle is designed for transporting harvests and tools, proximity logistics for cooperatives, and rural distribution.
Stellantis Maroc CEO Yves Peyrot des Gachons stressed the partnership fits the company’s goal of making professional mobility more accessible to farmers and rural actors, noting that the FIAT TRIS Cargo Box version offers a concrete response to field needs.
Fikrat said the initiative reflects GCAM’s commitment to financial inclusion and rural development, offering beneficiaries adapted financing to improve their mobility through electric solutions.
Read also: 450 Rural Communes Still Lack Financial Services Despite 60% Coverage
A seventh convention was signed between ARDI Microfinance, GCAM’s subsidiary specializing in financing micro-entrepreneurs, and Tamwilcom. The deal launches a new product called ARDI Mouakaba, an evolving financing solution designed to support very small enterprises (TPE) through their launch, growth, and structuring phases.
The mechanism relies on two Tamwilcom instruments: Damane Microfinance, which guarantees financing extended by ARDI, and Tamwil Microfinance, dedicated to project co-financing. The two institutions confirmed in a joint statement that the convention reflects their shared commitment to a financing model that is more inclusive, sustainable, and impact-oriented.
GCAM also sealed a convention with Morocco’s National Data Protection Commission (CNDP), marking the group’s adhesion to the Data-Tika program.
Signed by Fikrat and CNDP President Omar Seghrouchni, the agreement aims to support agricultural sector actors in complying with Law 09-08 on personal data protection. The CNDP noted that it has established a dedicated unit for the agricultural sector to provide tailored guidance and facilitate compliance procedures specific to the industry.
Through these conventions, GCAM has positioned itself at the center of SIAM 2026’s rural finance agenda, drawing on national and international partners to address gaps in financial access, climate adaptation, and economic modernization across Morocco’s agricultural sector.
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