As Eid al-Adha approaches, rumors are circulating on social media claiming that the price of sheep imported from Europe and destined for sacrifice does not exceed 700 dirhams per head, while importers are selling them on the Moroccan market at 2,700 dirhams.
This information, widely disseminated by Moroccans on social networks, has drawn criticism from importers because of the alleged difference in profit between the import price and the selling price on the Moroccan market, particularly given the support granted by the government, worth 500 dirhams per head of sheep imported especially for Eid Al-Adha.
However, importers refute the veracity of this information circulating on the prices of imported sheep. Mohamed Jebli, president of the Moroccan Federation of Actors in the Livestock Sector (FMAFE), expresses his astonishment at the discussions on the fact that the price of imported sheep does not exceed 700 dirhams, telling MoroccoLatestNews that all this is not true“.
According to data provided by the FMAFE, the price of sheep in European countries authorized to import is around 57 dirhams per kilogram. Thus, the price of a lamb weighing 50 kilograms would reach 2,850 dirhams, and not 700 dirhams, according to the federation.
As Moroccans fear higher prices for sacrifices this year due to low supply from the national herd and reliance on importing sheep from Europe to make up the shortfall, Jebli says the selling price will be no different previous years, and will be around 57 dirhams per kilogram, thanks to the support granted by the government for this purpose.
A number of Moroccans criticize the granting of subsidies to importers of sacrificial sheep, instead of giving them directly to citizens to help them buy their own sheep. However, the president of FMAFE claims that importers suffer losses due to the death of some imported sheep, as well as labor, feed and transport costs related to the import process.
The FMAFE believes that “ the objective of a group of importers who have engaged in this operation is to help the success of this government initiative aimed at ensuring a sufficient number of sheep, and not to seek financial gain or to exploit the crisis current“.
The Federation also indicates that Moroccan importers ” face difficulties in finding sheep which have become almost non-existent in some European countries due to high demand from Arab countries“. Nevertheless, Mohamed Jebli asserts that the offer of sacrifices for Eid Al-Adha in the Moroccan market ” will be sufficient ” This year.