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Rabat – The demand of essential food products in Moroccan markets has increased in the first two days of Ramadan, which started on April 25, revealed Morocco’s Interministerial Committee for Monitoring Supply, Prices, and Quality Control Operations.
The demand, however, did not reach the same level recorded during the same period in 2019, said a statement issued by the committee on Monday, April 27.
Despite the increase in demand, the supply to Moroccan markets can still cover the estimated needs for the coming months and prices remain stable.
Compared to the same period in 2019, prices of essential food products have recorded a significant decrease.
“The prices of tomatoes and dry onions are 11% lower than the previous year, green onions 36% lower, red meats 7%, and live chicken 26%,” said the statement.
The interministerial committee brings together representatives from the Department of General Affairs and Governance, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Energy.
The committee holds two meetings per week, on Mondays and on Thursdays, to monitor the situation of Moroccan markets, the level of supply and prices, and any interventions to deal with fraud, monopolization, speculation, and price manipulation.
The committee has doubled down its efforts during the COVID-19 crisis to prevent merchants from exploiting the state of emergency to increase their prices.
More than 30,000 wholesale and retail outlets and storage warehouses across the country receive regular checks to detect any infringements.
The violations include failing to display prices, not presenting invoices, not respecting quality and hygiene standards, and illegal increases beyond regulated prices.
Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Morocco on March 2, the committee detected over 2,000 violations in the country’s markets.
