Morocco red meat prices: mutton hits 125 dirhams/kg

Red meat prices rose again in Casablanca's markets this week, amid a persistent supply shortage and a decline in the national herd, according to Hespress, citing data released by the local development company "Casablanca for Services".

According to this data on Casablanca's slaughterhouses, beef prices ranged this week between 87 and 108 dirhams per kilogram, up from a range of 85 to 104 dirhams the previous week. Sheep meat recorded a sharper rise, moving from a range of 110-115 dirhams to between 118 and 125 dirhams per kilogram, with the increase affecting both the minimum and maximum prices for both types of meat.

Why does the rise keep going?

Jamal Farhan, regional secretary of the meat transport and retail butchers sector, told Hespress that the price rise stems from a significant supply shortage, considering that "the national herd is no longer able to meet the market's needs." He explained that small livestock breeders suffered major losses in recent years due to the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, rising feed and production input costs, as well as successive years of drought, which weakened their ability to continue their activity and was reflected in the volume of supply available in markets. He stressed that the current shortage is not only linked to short-term fluctuations, but reflects a cumulative decline in the national production base.

Regarding imports, Farhan considers them a necessary evil at the current stage to meet market demand, while remaining, in his view, a patch solution that alone cannot overcome the crisis or guarantee a sustainable price decrease. He called for redirecting support programs toward small breeders by providing them with livestock heads directly, instead of limiting support to financial aid or focusing on large breeders.

What does this mean for Moroccans' wallets?

For his part, Mohammed Dahabi, secretary-general of the General Union of Enterprises and Professions, which includes the butchers' and importers' unions, told the same outlet that resolving the red meat crisis requires thinking about the sustainability of national production, rather than limiting action to interventions tied to seasonal occasions like Eid al-Adha, calling for priority to be given to securing the meat consumed daily by citizens. He noted that rising prices now threaten citizens' purchasing power and are causing a decline in consumption, while butchers themselves are hurt by rising supply costs and falling demand. He also stressed that livestock imports have not achieved their intended goal of lowering prices, calling in turn for rebuilding the national herd instead of relying on short-term fixes.

The increase comes as Moroccans face a simultaneous rise in the prices of other food items, including tomatoes, and after the government recently set up a committee to monitor prices and protect purchasing power. Follow today's chicken and meat prices on Wafinkom.