For several weeks, the price of fish has seen a meteoric rise in Morocco, which has made this product beyond the reach of citizens with limited incomes.
Despite the fact that Morocco has two seafronts, fish prices are not within the reach of all citizens, especially the middle and vulnerable classes, which prompted the deputies of the Popular Movement (MP) group to House of Representatives to seize the ministry in charge of the sector to reveal the government measures aimed at making fish accessible to all Moroccan families.
Questioned on this subject, Mohamed Sadiki, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, stressed that the price of fish marketed at wholesale markets, which are under the supervision of the The National Fisheries Office (ONP), are subject, like many products, to the logic of supply and demand, influenced by multiple factors, in particular the cost of fishing excursions and the resources they require. logistics, including fuel, which has increased recently, thus affecting the activity of fishing vessels.
On the other hand, the Minister explained in an answer to a parliamentary question obtained by MoroccoLatestNews Ar, that weather conditions in turn affect the activity of fishing vessels, since weather change affects the abundance of marine products, and therefore affects demand.
In order to bring maritime products closer to citizens, ensure their marketing under conditions subject to quality and health safety standards, and reduce the number of intermediaries in the sales operation, Mohamed Sadiki revealed that a set of procedures and measures have been taken as part of the implementation of the national program to strengthen marketing structures.
In this context, the Minister of Agriculture mentioned the construction of a network of 10 wholesale markets outside the ports, specifying that the primary sales markets recorded in the first nine months of this year an increase of 26% quantities marketed and a 14% decrease in the level of wholesale prices compared to the same in 2021.
The government official also indicated that the selling prices of marine products at retail are in turn affected by a range of additional factors, including the cost of transport from wholesale sites, the cost of the distribution chain, the profit margins of intermediaries and retailers, as well as the strong demand, especially in times of increased demand, knowing that the management of markets selling fish in retail and the control of the prices negotiated there do not fall within the competence of this ministry.