Special Report on the 9th Edition of the 2025 Almond Festival in Aknoul

The ninth edition of the Almond Festival kicked off on Saturday, November 15, 2025, in the city of Aknoul, amid a festive atmosphere that has restored the event’s luster after a five-year hiatus.

Ahmed El Bouari, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water, and Forests, officially opened this edition, which runs through November 17, under the theme: “The Almond Tree… A Pillar of Climate Resilience and Protection of Land Assets.”

This edition returns with a renewed format that combines agricultural, economic, and cultural dimensions. It is organized by the Aknoul Almond Festival Association, in partnership with several government sectors, with the aim of highlighting the importance of almonds as a strategic product that distinguishes the mountainous region of Taza and serves as a key driver of local development.

This year’s edition features the participation of 64 cooperatives and businesses active in promoting local products, making the festival a platform to highlight the region’s agricultural diversity and revitalize the almond sector, which has become a major economic pillar for the region’s residents. The event also serves as an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of local products and their role in supporting the green economy and achieving sustainable development, while facilitating professional discussions on ways to develop the almond sector and enhance its marketing and processing value.

In a statement to the newspaper Tazacity, Abdelkarim Al-Hams, president of the Almond Festival Association, emphasized that this event provides a practical space for cooperatives to showcase their products and strengthen their commercial presence, noting the launch of a new digital platform dedicated to local products, which serves as a modern tool for display and marketing for professionals. He added that the organizing committee was keen to give this edition a national character and to support projects aimed at promoting almonds as a promising resource in the fields of food and cosmetics manufacturing and almond oil production.