Fifty hectares of sunbaked, unused land near Marrakech sat idle for many years before Tariq Berrada El Azizi, an accountant turned entrepreneur, turned this forgotten patch of earth into a high-performing citrus farm.
Central Morocco is facing increasing water scarcity, and the prices of fertiliser, electricity and gas are volatile, especially with the ongoing war in Ukraine. This means citrus farming across Morocco is shrinking.
To overcome these difficulties, Tariq requested help from his local bank in 2019 and took a bet on innovation and sustainable practices. Using a loan from Attijariwafa Bank, backed by the European Investment Bank, he launched Le Manoir de Maman (Mom’s Manor), a modern orchard with a solar-powered drip irrigation system, planted with Nadorcott mandarins for export markets.
“We’re proud to have turned arid land into a sustainable farm,” says Tariq, whose land is in Majjat, a rural commune southwest of Marrakech. “Our irrigation system, supplied by renewable underground water and powered by solar energy, helps us manage scarce resources while meeting strict international standards.”
A small fruit with big value for exports
Morocco ranks among the top ten citrus exporters globally, particularly for mandarins and clementines. Located south of Spain and Italy, the country harvests citrus earlier in the season, reaching European markets before its competitors. But after a decade of recurrent droughts, 30% of its citrus farmland has been abandoned, according to the Moroccan Interprofessional Federation of Citrus Fruits.
Nadorcott mandarins, a seedless, late-season variety, are a rare bright spot. Representing just 8% to 11% of total citrus acreage, they account for 50% of the sector’s exports and generate up to 70% of its export revenue because of their higher prices and quality. Their shorter growing cycle and natural resilience make them suitable for semi-arid regions, if the right infrastructure is in place.
That’s what Le Manoir de Maman set out to build.
Financing innovation in rural Morocco
Small agricultural businesses often struggle to find affordable, long-term loans, a challenge highlighted in the European Investment Bank’s Finance in Africa 2024 report. Rural ventures find it especially hard to get loans for crops that require a lot of resources and that focus on the export market.
“The loan that was given to Le Manoir de Maman is helping agriculture become sustainable and also helping rural employment,” says Mehdi Elharti, a loan officer at the European Investment Bank who worked on the deal.
The European Investment Bank is helping companies like Le Manoir de Maman through its multiple-beneficiary loan programme, which provides loans to local banks to help them support more businesses. The banks give smaller loans in the local currency and with good terms, making investments easier for entrepreneurs. The European Investment Bank gave Attijariwafa Bank a €100 million multibeneficiary loan in 2017.
Attijariwafa Bank has used the EIB financing to help many small businesses in agriculture, manufacturing and the service sectors. In September 2025, Attijariwafa Bank agreed to join the European Union’s Trade and Competitiveness Programme. The programme, which is run by the European Investment Bank, aims to improve competitiveness and trade between Europe and countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. The programme gives loan guarantees, loans and technical advice to companies and banks. A new deal between the European Investment Bank and Attijariwafa Bank under this programme is expected to be signed in 2026.
Tariq took out a loan worth about €470 000 in 2020. This helped him:
- build a drip irrigation system powered mainly by solar energy, with the electricity grid as a backup;
- buy certified Nadorcott saplings, protective nets and water storage infrastructure;
- build farm access roads and facilities to help with the harvest.
“Le Manoir de Maman is a good example showing our commitment to sustainable agriculture, integrating renewable energy, sustainable management of water resources and job creation in rural areas,” says Youssef Yassar, a trade finance expert at Attijariwafa Bank.
Cultivating better businesses
The farm’s manager, Salama Boufikr, who has 20 years of experience in the industry, explains that the goal is to improve growth while protecting the land.
“From the start, we focused on boosting tree growth through balanced fertilisation – nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium – supported by bio-inoculants and foliar sprays,” he says. “We also aim to minimise pesticide use, to protect beneficial insects and maintain soil health.”
“We’re continuously improving water efficiency,” he adds. “We’ve moved to low-flow drippers and now irrigate five to six hours a day, reducing output from 2.2 litres to one litre an hour per tree.”
A model for efficient farming
After the farm received permits to drill a 200-metre-deep well, production began in 2022. In just two seasons, Le Manoir de Maman emerged as a model for efficient, export-grade citrus farming:
- 45 tonnes per hectare yield, comparable to top orchards in Spain
- 15 permanent jobs and 100 seasonal jobs created, with a focus on employing from nearby villages
- 70% savings on electricity costs using solar-powered irrigation
- Lower use of fertilisers and water
The farm holds certifications from the Global Good Agricultural Practices and the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit organisations, allowing it to sell to premium buyers across international markets. In 2024, it produced 1 200 tonnes of mandarins, 80% of which were exported to the United States and Europe.
Thriving in challenging regions
Le Manoir de Maman shows how farming entrepreneurs can succeed in water-scarce regions across the Mediterranean. Tariq is happy to show that high-value agriculture can thrive in Morocco’s most challenging regions. Le Manoir de Maman plans to triple production by 2027 and is building a 12-hectare expansion, and Tariq now has long-term export contracts. He also plans to diversify into essential oils from leaves and peels.
“The 12-hectare expansion will bring positive spillovers to the neighbouring rural communities,” he says.
ATTIJARIWAFA LOAN FOR SMES AND MIDCAPS
A dedicated EIB Loan to finance SMEs and Midcaps in Morocco via medium-long term lending and leasing schemes
