Argan oil: The ARGANIER

ARGANIER

Argan oil, bio oil, cosmetics and a nectar often came from Morocco.

In Morocco, what this precious liquid is argan oil as a cosmetic beauty to the skin an oil organic food.

The argan tree is native to Morocco, where it occupies an area of ​​28,000 ha.
It is the second tree in the country after the holm oak and cedar just before.
It is a tree that can live 150 to 200 years. It is very resistant to drought and heat and adapts to almost any soil.
It grows wild and abundantly in the arid and semi-arid southwestern Morocco.
The argan tree plays an irreplaceable role in the ecological balance and preserving biodiversity. With its powerful root system, it helps maintain the soil and helps to fight against the water and wind erosion desertification that threatens much of the region.

Argan oil: Between June and August, Moroccans and harvest the ripe fruits fallen to the ground (the argan tree should not be Gaul). These fruits are dried in the sun for several weeks, then women do, between two stones to remove the fruit pulp and crack the nut contained inside - a nut deemed sixteen times stronger than that of the nutty - to extract valuable kernels finally oilseeds. The operation is not over, however. These kernels are put in a few minutes to heat dishes from clay. Following this slight roasting, they are then ground to the grindstone. To give their argan oil? Still no. Is obtained only at that moment a paste that will also require a long manual work. Women knead for several hours to a paste of deep dish. A couple of specific moments, they add to the paste small amounts of warm water, it is only after this long they end up mixing this mixture to completely dry up in order to extract the last drop of argan oil. The production of one liter of argan oil will need 100 kg of fresh fruit and 12 hours.


 Argan oil: International Ambitions

Argan oil, a small-scale production still

According to the Department of Water and Forests, Argan (Argan oil) provides the livelihood of 3 million people in the south of the Kingdom. It also provides 20 million working days a year. Operation constitutes an income generating activity and has always had an economic function.
However, this is only from the 90 years that the industry was structured through the creation of women's cooperatives specialized in the production of argan oil, whose number has increased over the years. According to figures provided by industry players, there are currently in the region of Souss fifty argan oil cooperatives but only twenty are active. Of these, fewer than a dozen are mechanized.
The field although evolving, is marked by some failures. In general, cooperative production of argan oil are characterized by poor management and marketing experience problems.
This has led some, there is not a very long time to come together through an economic interest group to be more competitive. This example to be followed, including the initiator is Professor Dr Charrouf the Faculty of the University Mohammed V in Rabat, includes nine named Targanine cooperatives, run entirely by women. These entities, which also ensure the literacy of their members, won the 2001 Slow Food prices, which annually recognizes organizations that play a role both in eating quality than on environmental and social.

This is not the only recognition of the sector internationally. In fact, there are some years, a craze for the argan tree and argan oil, especially since it has many niches to exploit. All components can be sources of income. And among other things, its wood is used for heating, as well at the foot of the argan tree, can be grown barley as the tree fertilizes the soil. Its main function remains the production of argan oil. According to official figures, the domestic production of argan oil may be estimated at 4000 tonnes per year. Volume should be noted, which requires 10,000 tons of almonds and 120,000 tons of fruit.
For the export of argan oil, according to figures provided by the establishment of autonomous control and coordination of exports (EACC), the tonnage exported Argan oil was more than 27.23 tons during the 2003-2004 season. The segments of the industry, however, that the volumes in argan oil shipped throughout the world are much larger, perhaps 10 to 20 times the tonnage said.