The red meat sector clings to imports… and “consumer protectors” condemn speculation

Meat professionals and consumer protection associations rejected Mohammed Seddiqi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, limiting his explanation of the rise in red meat prices to drought and fodder prices only, instead of talking about the “depth of the problem” related to “speculators and the import controversy.”

Siddiqi answered the representatives’ questions in response to the controversy over the rise in red meat prices in Moroccan markets, saying: “The reason is due to the deterioration of the vegetation cover of pastures, the lack of pasture production, and the high costs of fodder, and what coincides with the continuation of successive years of drought that has cast a strong shadow on national production.”

Sector professionals consider that “justifications are acceptable; But it does not comprehensively address the rest of the imbalances that contribute to making prices high, such as distributing feed subsidies through traditional methods instead of resorting to factories directly, and the import difficulties that are still present.”

Import

The price of red meat in wholesale slaughterhouses today, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, according to Hisham Guabri, the regional clerk of wholesale red meat merchants in the city of Casablanca, ranges between 85 and 88 dirhams for cows, and 110 to 112 dirhams for sheep.

Jawabri added to Hespress that the minister’s answer is somewhat logical. But it is not enough, and he needs to “continue talking about the real reasons for this rise, which cannot be limited to fodder and drought.”

The sector professional stated, “It is true that the drought contributed to the deterioration of national production, and the farmer got rid of his herd. But it is a factor that is not being talked about currently, and the real obstacles appear in the support formulas related to fodder and the problem of importing from abroad.”

The same spokesman explained these problems by saying, “Distributing support to farmers in a traditional way is an unsuccessful formula, and it is important for the ministry to go directly to the factories,” adding, “Distributing barley as support to farmers always makes us wonder, where does all of this go?”

Regarding imports, Guabri stressed that “the import tariff book is very miraculous, and we ask the minister to allocate a new one that will ease the conditions and allow Moroccan importers to enter the markets of exporting countries, so that they have priority,” pointing out that “the exporting countries are due to this book.” She began to see Morocco as her last destination.”

The same professional explained that “the relevant authorities prevent wholesale and installment meat sellers from importing operations, in exchange for allowing companies and speculators to do this process only, and lowering prices now will be through allowing all actors in this sector to import.”

The minister responsible for the agricultural sector had indicated that “the government has opened the door to imports, and suspended the fees related to this process on beef intended for slaughter and fattening, in addition to opening up to new markets, especially in South America,” stressing “the absence of exclusion in imports from abroad.”

Speculators

Ali Shatoor, President of the Moroccan Association for the Defense of Consumer Rights, called for “intensifying import operations from abroad so that supply is available to meet the increasing Moroccan consumer demand at prices that suit his purchasing power.”

Storr added, in a statement to Hespress, that the Minister of Agriculture’s talk about drought and fodder alone as a reason for this rise is insufficient, and he should have “addressed the problem of speculators and ways to limit their disturbing activity, which in recent days has reached the point of storing sheep until Eid al-Adha approaches in order to Sell ​​it at a high price.”

The head of the Moroccan Association for the Defense of Consumer Rights stressed that “import protects the national herd from the enormous demand occurring at the present time, and provides appropriate meat prices.”

The same spokesman accused speculators of being behind the high prices of red meat in Moroccan markets, stressing “the importance of striking their plans through decisive measures.”

According to Younis Al-Kayaf, a wholesale meat seller and member of the General Union of Enterprises and Professions, “We noticed that the import of cows from abroad has been halted since the beginning of the New Year, and recently with the opening of the door, demand is still high against a weak supply.”

Al-Kayyaf noted that “weak imports are the main reason for the rise, not just drought and fodder,” stressing that “imports are the remaining solution for us to confront this dilemma that has continued for years.”

The sector professional confirmed that many professionals were unaware of any increase in import-related fees that the minister spoke about yesterday, explaining that “what we see and many of us see is that the import movement is very weak.”