The Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohammed Sadiki, affirmed on Friday in Rabat that the rise in the price of red meat, recorded recently, is “temporary” and the prices will begin to decline gradually before the month of Ramadan.
Red meat prices have risen due to disruptions in the meat chain, induced by the effects of the pandemic and the drought, which has impacted the supply of markets in sufficient quantities and therefore the rise in prices, explained Sadiki in a statement to the press on the occasion of a meeting held with the Interprofessional Federation of Red Meats (FIVIAR).
In this regard, the Minister assured that prices should stabilize to return to their pre-crisis levels, stressing that the government has taken significant measures to bring prices down, including the abolition of customs duties, the abolition of value added tax (VAT), as well as the encouragement of the procedure for importing cattle intended for slaughter from Europe and Latin America.
He also indicated that the importation of cattle for slaughter would preserve domestic cattle to rebalance the chain of national livestock and thus guarantee the return of prices to their level. The Minister also noted that imports of cattle began three days ago, noting that prices have started to fall by around 3 to 5 dirhams in recent days, particularly on the markets of Casablanca. This decline will continue until prices regain their level, he noted, adding that the purpose of the meeting with FIVIAR is to implement these measures taken by the government, with a view to rebalancing this chain, in which we have achieved self-sufficiency.
For his part, the President of FIVIAR, M’hammed Karimine, indicated that the Green Morocco Plan (PMV) has made it possible to guarantee self-sufficiency in the production of red meats. The said Plan has also made it possible to increase production from 450,000 tons per year to 606,000 tons annually, thanks to strong support from the State in improving the breed and productivity, as well as support for farmers. , said Mr. Karimine. And to continue that currently, we are facing a problem of rising prices, which results from the succession of crises, in particular covid-19 and the effects of geopolitical conflicts, having led to an increase in the prices of fodder entering production. of red meats.
To remedy this situation, Karimine pointed out that the ministry ensured the support of breeders and farmers, noting that the Federation accepted the import of cattle to protect the national herd and the purchasing power of the citizen.