The Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch held, Monday, April 17, 2023 in Rabat, a meeting with the professionals of the red meat sector represented in the Interprofessional Federation of Red Meats (FIVIAR), as well as with representatives of the Moroccan Confederation Agriculture and Rural Development (COMADER), the National Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders (ANOC), the Interprofessional Federation of the Dairy Sector (FIMALAIT) and the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM).
This meeting, which was an opportunity to inquire about preparations for Aid al adha, made it possible to note the good sanitary condition of the livestock, thanks to the efforts undertaken by the National Office for Sanitary Safety of Food Products (ONSSA ) in terms of permanent health control of the national herd and its protection against contagious animal diseases. It also made it possible to take stock of the pace of the registration operation for sheep and goats prepared for Aid Al Adha.
The meeting was also devoted to examining the situation of the red meat sector and the measures capable of developing it at national level, both in terms of supplying the internal market and the pace of operation to import animals for slaughter, which will stabilize prices and preserve and replenish the national herd. Thus, since the launch of the operation in February 2023, some 22,000 head of cattle and 10,000 head of sheep have been imported.
Aziz Akhannouch affirmed during this meeting that the government has taken numerous emergency measures to ensure the stability of red meat prices, restore the balance of the sector and build up the herd in the short term, within the framework a program contract drawn up with the professionals, which will soon be signed between the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, the professionals and the Interprofessional Federation of Red Meats, with a view to supply the national market with sufficient quantities of meat and ensure price stability.
He recalled that several measures have been taken for the importation of cattle and sheep intended for slaughter, including the suspension of the tax applied and of VAT, measures which were the subject of an important communication from of the government.
The Head of Government called on professionals to continue their efforts to accelerate the pace of imports in order to guarantee the availability of products, the permanent supply of the national market at reasonable prices and to ensure that the balance of the sector is preserved. In this regard, he assured that the government will ensure that professionals are supported in taking the necessary measures.
This meeting was also an opportunity to assess the measures taken to deal with the problem of the rise in meat prices since last October, after the series of constraints that confronted the sector , during the period of the covid-19 pandemic, then during the drought that followed. These crises led to a rise in production costs, which led to an imbalance in the sector.
This meeting took place in the presence of Mohammed Sadiki, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance, in charge of Budget and Abdallah El Janati, Director General of the National Office for Sanitary Safety of Food Products (ONSSA).