Sardine price in Morocco hits 30 dirhams despite export lead
A deputy minister admits the 30-dirham sardine price is "unacceptable" even as Morocco leads the world in sardine exports, and announces reforms including domestic-market quotas.
The price of a kilogram of sardine has reached 30 dirhams for the final consumer in Moroccan markets, a situation described as "unacceptable" by Ahmed El Mehdi El Mezouari, deputy minister to the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fishing and Food Sovereignty in charge of Maritime Fishing, during discussion of his sector's sub-budget under the 2027 Finance Bill before the House of Representatives, reports Al3omk.
How does the price multiply sixfold between the port and the table?
The government official explains that this paradox is not explained by the abundance or scarcity of fish, but by what happens between the port dock and the fish market: sardine is landed at just 4 or 5 dirhams in southern ports such as Laâyoune, before reaching 15 dirhams at Casablanca's wholesale markets, then jumping to 30 dirhams for the final consumer because of layers of intermediation and speculation.
| Stage | Price (MAD/kg) |
|---|---|
| Landing in southern ports (Laâyoune) | 4 to 5 dirhams |
| Casablanca wholesale markets | 15 dirhams |
| Final consumer | 30 dirhams |
Industry professionals, led by the Moroccan Confederation of Wholesale Fish Traders, blame what they call a "vertical monopoly": a regulatory gap lets a single operator hold three roles at once, with the "outfitter" who owns the fishing boats also acting as the "trader" who dominates auction purchases, and the "factory owner" who diverts the product toward canning or export rather than the domestic market. Professionals are therefore calling for protected quotas reserved exclusively for the domestic market via small and medium traders, with a ban on diverting them to factories.
A record catch at sea that doesn't reach the basket
Official figures presented by the minister show the problem is not production: after the sector's decline in 2025 (production down 15%, exports down 2.2 billion dirhams to 26.6 billion dirhams), landings of pelagic fish, sardine foremost, posted a record 85% rise in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period last year. National production reached about 786,000 tons worth 12.5 billion dirhams by the end of August 2026, while Morocco ranks first in the world in sardine exports. This is not the first time the abundance of national production has raised questions about reaching consumers at a reasonable price: the government had already suspended tomato exports and other essential products in an attempt to control domestic prices.
The fisherman at the heart of the equation... and what's next?
The maritime fishing sector directly employs about 271,000 people, and the fisherman remains, according to the minister, its weakest link: his income is cut off suddenly whenever the biological rest periods needed to protect fish stocks are imposed. The ministry announced it is coordinating with the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) to design compensation and protection mechanisms against fishermen's "temporary suspension of activity." In parallel, the ministry intends to bring the Maritime Commerce Code, which dates back to 1919, in line with current international standards, pending a new sector strategy for 2032-2035, preceded by "national dialogue on maritime fishing" sessions for the first time since 1994.