Agriculture Minister Mohamed Sadiki denied reports of an increase in the prices of locally produced food, including bread. According to him, the increase in the prices of certain products is justified by the increase in energy prices, in particular in the context of imports.
In a global context of rising energy prices this winter, some products on the national market have seen their prices increase as a result of the global increase, said the minister during the discussion of the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture. in the councilors’ room.
As for local products, Sadiki felt that all prices are “stable”. “The prices of all local products are stable,” he said, noting that people on social media “abuse” when they complain.
He said that the price of bread has not changed. “The price of ordinary bread has not increased, it may be the case for luxury bread,” he said. He added that the government canceled the customs duties on the importation of wheat in order to reduce the cost of importation.
Nevertheless, the minister recognized the increase in the price of edible oils. In this regard, he justified this price increase by an increase in the cost of raw materials, which are not produced in Morocco.
On the price of poultry, which has recently risen, Mohamed Sadiki, indicated that it was returning to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on producers, while noting that prices returned to normal after the Ministry approached the Interprofessional Federation of the Poultry Sector on this subject.
Separately, Sadiki addressed the subject of farmers whose prickly pear plantations have been hit hard by mealybug this year, saying that the National Food Safety Office (ONSSA) “is doing a tremendous job of eradicating this pest ”.
“We are going to plant new trees for them,” he said, explaining how the Ministry of Agriculture plans to compensate farmers.
The ministry intends to compensate for the lost harvests by replanting new plants of a new variety resistant to the cochineal, which it qualified as a “pest” insect. Agricultural research has made it possible to develop no less than 8 varieties resistant to the cochineal, he said.
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