As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, the Moroccan poultry industry is preparing to meet the strong demand for poultry meat and eggs for consumption. With imports and national production on the rise, the sector is showing reassuring indicators. However, industry players emphasize the need for reforms to stabilize prices and strengthen the country’s food sovereignty.
As the month of Ramadan 1446 approaches, a period marked by high demand for poultry meat and eggs for consumption, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Ahmed El Bouari , held a strategic meeting at the end of last week with the Interprofessional Federation of the Poultry Sector (FISA). The discussions focused on the current state of the Moroccan poultry sector, the measures taken to guarantee adequate supply of the national market, as well as the challenges to overcome to stabilize prices.
During this meeting, FISA assured that stakeholders in the poultry sector have taken all necessary measures to meet the growing demand during the holy month. According to the data communicated, imports of poultry breeders have seen a significant increase.
National production on the rise
At the end of October 2024, Morocco had imported 3.468 million meat-type breeders, an increase of 14% compared to the same period of the previous year. Imports of poults have also exploded, reaching 1.635 million subjects, compared to only 552,090 in October 2023, an impressive variation of +196%. Imports of laying-type breeders also increased by 31%, from 204,714 in 2023 to 267,667 in 2024.
This increase aims to guarantee stable production of table eggs, particularly during periods of high demand. On the production side, the introduction of day-old broiler chicks reached 391.137 million birds at the end of October 2024, marking an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. The production of day-old poults recorded a notable increase of 17%, going from 12.265 million in 2023 to 14.306 million in 2024.
However, the sector observed a slight drop in the establishment of pullets (hens intended for laying), which went from 13.585 million at the end of October 2023 to 11.893 million in 2024, a drop of 12%. This reduction is explained by the extension of the rearing period for laying hens, now 90 to 100 weeks, compared to 75 to 80 weeks previously.
In terms of volumes, national production reached 735,000 tonnes of poultry meat at the end of October 2024, an increase of 6% compared to 2023. Likewise, the production of eggs for consumption increased by 4%, reaching 5 .5 billion eggs over the same period.
Price, a complex issue
One of the major topics discussed during this meeting concerns the volatility of prices of poultry products on the market. FISA emphasized that prices are primarily determined by the law of supply and demand. However, intermediaries play an important role in the distribution chain and constitute a factor in increasing prices.
To remedy this problem, FISA proposes to strengthen the integration of sectors, in particular by promoting the aggregation of producers and the development of industrial slaughterhouses to reduce marginal costs.
Furthermore, the meeting also highlighted the desire to reduce Morocco’s dependence on imports. FISA cited the need to develop grandparent breeders, particularly for broiler breeders, to ensure a national supply of breeding chicks.
Minister Ahmed El Bouari affirmed that the government is ready to support investments in this strategic branch, which directly contributes to the country’s food sovereignty.
HK / ECO Inspirations
