Production, increase in meat prices, supply of the national market… Ahmed El Bouari, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, provides explanations before the House of Representatives.
Responding to the concerns of deputies during the weekly session of oral questions held this Monday, January 20, 2025 in the House of Representatives, El Bouari indicated that the execution of program contracts made it possible to achieve the strategic objectives defined for the majority production chains. This approach led to an abundance of products on national markets, while consolidating exports of essential goods.
He stressed that national production fully meets internal needs for vegetables, fruits and white meats, as well as eggs for consumption, and covers 98% of needs for milk and its derivatives.
At the same time, as part of the implementation of “Green Generation” strategies, an innovative vision was adopted for the signing of these program contracts, focused on strengthening value chains with a view to mitigating the impacts of climate change and international crises, while aiming for our nation’s food sovereignty, he added.
The minister also clarified that an interim evaluation of this strategy is envisaged at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, affirming that “ this assessment is of crucial importance for updating the roadmap of production chains, ensuring their adequacy with national and international developments« .
As for the increase in prices experienced by many products on the national market, including red meats, El Bouari made it clear that the drought has had repercussions even on fish. Faced with this situation, the government has undertaken considerable efforts to ensure continuous and regular supply to markets, while aiming to stabilize the prices of essential foodstuffs.
« The initiatives of the Ministry of Agriculture have borne fruit, mitigating some negative repercussions, particularly with regard to the price stability of the majority of agricultural products this year. In this context, the government has implemented a series of proactive measures, including the adoption of an emergency program aimed at supporting the seeds of strategic production, such as cereals and vegetables, as well as strengthening the support for nitrogen fertilizers“, indicated the manager.
In addition, a decision was taken to suspend import duties and value added tax applicable to the importation of cattle, sheep, goats and camelids, he recalled, noting that the Customs duties and VAT relating to the importation of red meat of these species have also been suspended, in order to ensure a fair supply on the local market and to encourage a reduction in prices.
-Furthermore, “ the slaughter of female cattle intended for reproduction was prohibited to preserve the national herd. Exemptions from customs duties were granted on imports of day-old chicks, while ensuring financial incentives for investments in refrigeration equipment, production units, as well as the creation of devices for drying waste poultry and the establishment of industrial slaughterhouses for poultry“, he continued.
Furthermore, El Bouari revealed that around 167,000 heads of cattle, 906,000 heads of sheep and 1,724 tonnes of meat were imported. In addition, the quantities of imported broiler and turkey breeders increased by 17% compared to the previous year.
« Indeed, comparing prices between January this year and January 2024, tomatoes suffered a drop of 8%, potatoes by 15%, onions by 30% and eggs by 6%. On the other hand, it is important to emphasize that an increase in the prices of red and white meats has been observed, which is both normal and necessary in this context.“, reported the minister.
Regarding white meat, “ no major imbalance was noted in production. The increase in prices is explained by increased demand for this meat, which has largely replaced red meats. A significant proportion of Moroccan consumers are turning to chicken, leading to an increase in demand that was not anticipated by producers“, he explained.
Thus, as part of the sectoral dialogue with stakeholders in the poultry industry, an agreement was established to increase production, by increasing the volume of chicks. However, according to El Bouari, it will take some time before these adjustments have a tangible impact on the markets.
He also revealed that his department plans to hold a meeting soon with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to explore concrete measures to address price disparities between slaughterhouses and farms on the one hand, and between wholesale and retail markets on the other.
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