Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Mohamed Sadiki has stressed that the cattle the country has recently imported from Brazil are among the “best breeds” marketed worldwide.
Sadiki made the statement in response to a journalist’s question at the MAP Forum on Wednesday, explaining that the country has imported Brazil’s “Nelore” breed, one of the best in the world. The forum was organized under the theme: “Generation Green, a strategy for food security in Morocco.”
The minister underlined that Morocco has turned to Brazilian cattle to ensure a regular supply of the domestic market and stabilize red meat prices. Over the past year, red meat prices skyrocketed in Morocco, increasing by over 50%.
The country received a shipment of 2,800 heads of cattle in the Jorf Lasfar Port from Brazil last month.
Speaking about the quality of the imported cattle, Sadiki said that it has been subjected to a “strict control process” imposed by the Moroccan National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA), assuring that Nelore is a high-quality breed with “excellent characteristics.”
Prior to their arrival in Morocco, the cattle were monitored by veterinarians affiliated with the Moroccan food safety watchdog in Brazil, he explained.
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The minister noted that the Latin American country exports nearly one million heads of cattle every year and around 2.4 million which are slaughtered, owing to the good quality of its cattle.
The breeding of Nelore cows depends on grazing instead of ready-made fodder, Sadiki said, stressing that the quality of its meat is “known and excellent.”
The prices of Brazilian beef range between MAD 65 and 67 ($6.4 and 6.6) per kilogram upon exit from the slaughterhouse, according to the minister.
In addition to the cattle imported from Brazil, Morocco has imported around 20,000 heads of cattle from various other countries, including Spain and France.
Morocco announced in February plans to import around 30,000 heads of cattle from Brazil and Uruguay to stabilize prices by increasing market supply.
Some had expressed disappointment however, claiming that the photos of the cattle circulating online showed them in a weak state, fearing that the meat would be of poor quality.
The prices of red meat and other food supplies have been a hot button issue in Morocco recently, with many criticizing the government for their inaction to address the crisis and alleviate some of the financial burden on citizens.
