The health crisis caused by COVID-19 and the lockdown have imposed unexpected challenges on the whole world and questioned our lifestyles, production and consumption ways as well.
The agricultural sector has not been spared. The pandemic has led to many changes in agricultural production. Due to movement restrictions and social distancing measures, ensuring product quality and availability is no longer an easy task. In this context, OCP was naturally mobilized among farmers by sharing its resources and know-how to enable them to respond with pragmatism and resilience to the challenges of this pandemic. Al Moutmir team carried out an integrated action plan capitalizing on the various initiatives incubated within the Group. An action plan adapted to the economic situation to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on farmers and to help them overcome  and take advantage of the current situation.
Beyond technical and scientific support, maintaining contact and being available and close to the community during this difficult time was and remains our priority.

Al Moutmir Covid-19 report

Protecting our team and farmers from COVID-19, our priority

Since the beginning of the Covid19 pandemic, Al Moutmir team has quickly mobilized in the rural areas, in strict compliance with the hygiene and safety measures recommended by the Ministries of the Interior and of Health. With support from public authorities, the team launched awareness-raising campaigns through radio channels, social networks and in the field. 
Our history with farmers is one of common destiny. Farmers are our customers, our partners and our close family. Beyond our actions, we have a contract of trust with this community that is at the heart of the OCP model.
Spontaneously, our agronomists joined the awareness-raising actions carried out by associations and local authorities in the rural villages via cars equipped with sound megaphones. They also shared live advice videos via WhatsApp with farmers and through Al Moutmir’s social media platforms. 
A large awareness campaign was launched on the Facebook page and relayed by our communities. Social distancing and hygiene tips were presented by the agronomists and farmers as well. Several radio capsules were also broadcast to raise the awareness of farmers.

A field commitment to ensure the continuity of Al Moutmir offer and support farmers

Aware of the socio-economic stakes facing the agricultural sector, and the additional challenges imposed by the Covid19 pandemic, Al Moutmir team remained mobilized alongside farmers throughout the lockdown period. The engineers supported farmers in their daily activities: monitoring of demonstration platforms, cereals and pulses, tree and vegetables crops, monitoring of the no-till platforms especially during the harvest and storage period, etc.
The teams continued to facilitate demonstration platforms in the different provinces of the Kingdom and provide advice to farmers on disease treatment operations and cover fertilizer inputs as well.
As part of the retailers program, Al Moutmir team carried out awareness-raising actions for our retailers partners in order to preserve their health and to ensure the delivery of fertilizer to farmers in good conditions.

Remote support was made possible thanks to the digital technologies

During the lockdown, we used digital technology to support farmers across the Kingdom. In addition to @tmar, the agricultural extension service mobile application, Al Moutmir team has implemented a range of digital solutions. A free e-learning platform was launched via the Al Moutmir YouTube channel. This allowed farmers to continue training throughout the crop cycle, without interruption.
The channel contains several trainings in local dialect, Darija. The team has also launched training via WhatsApp and Facebook where the agronomists regularly exchange with farmers on the status of their crops and orient them according to their needs. Several lives were organized on Facebook and led by experts who answered the various questions of farmers. Many webinars were also animated by our institutional, scientific and industrial partners.

Short supply channels, supporting cooperatives to take advantage of the economic situation

Aware of the negative impact that the pandemic had on the marketing channels, especially for cooperatives, Al Moutmir team has set up a support plan aimed at introducing cooperatives to digital technology in order to explore new marketing models with shorter circuits. Several webinars have been organized for the benefit of more than 400 cooperatives around various topics: e-commerce platforms, commercial Facebook accounts creation and the management of Internet users interactions, the preparation of promotional materials and the products on sale, etc. 
The team also mobilized a community of volunteer graphic designers to support cooperatives in the production of promotional materials: visual identities, flyers, product guides, etc.