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Rabat – Morocco is now turning to Brazil to keep its beef market well-supplied with the country expected to receive a shipment of 30,000 heads of cattle from Brazil and Uruguay in an attempt to weather price inflation in the market.
Local production of red meat plunged over the past two years affected mainly by the soaring cost of red meat, a trend that was further exacerbated by the severe drought the country experienced in 2022.
According to reports, President of Morocco’s Federation of Red Meat Professionals (FIVIAR), Mohammed Karimine, “the first boats of cattle imported from Brazil should arrive in 15 to 20 days. We hope above all that this batch will help slow the price rise.”
The first shipments are expected to arrive in the next few weeks, converging reports indicate.
The imports from Brazil are part of government efforts to meet the national demand for red meat and stabilize prices. Over the past year, red meat saw a dramatic rise in prices growing by more than 50% in value. One kilogram of red meat now averages more than MAD 100 ($10), up from MAD 70 ($7) last October.
Earlier this week, the government passed a decree to extend the suspension of import duties for red meat imports. In Addition, the government scrapped the minimum weight condition of 500 kilograms and a quota of 200,000 heads of cattle that was a prerequisite for receiving the customs duties exemption.
The news comes at a time when concern is already mounting over the state of the red meat market ahead of Eid Al Adha, a religious holiday that sees a spike in demand for cattle. A shortage in cattle is bound to mean a spike in prices that would put cattle out of reach for the country’s average purchasing power.
Read Also: Morocco Temporarily Suspends Import Duties on Cattle
