Anxiety Looms Over Brazilian Cattle Imports in Morocco

Rabat – The Moroccan government has turned to Brazil for cattle imports following a lack of production, rising prices, and climate stressors within the kingdom.

In 2022, Moroccan imports from Brazil increased by 88.82% as the countries sought to forge relations regarding import-export deals. This time, Morocco resorted to Brazil for cattle exports instead of the European Union to stabilize the price of meat for financially stressed Moroccan households.

Additionally, Brazil is set to become the largest beef exporter in 2023 due to the country’s tropical climate, which is a factor in the good quality of its cattle.

Concerns Over Quality

On March 26, Morocco received its first shipment of 2,800 heads of cattle from Brazil. However, consumers quickly became concerned after videos and images of the cattle surfaced online, with many claiming the discernibly poor health of the cattle was indication enough that the quality of their meat did not meet the standards of the National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA)..

“First, [Head of Government Aziz] Akhannouch must be held accountable for the exorbitant money allocated to him, which in the end left no self-sufficiency in grains, vegetables, and meat…. Secondly, Moroccans must boycott red meat to preserve their health from any possible diseases, especially Brazilian cows, and for the beef price to decrease to the limits of 50 dirhams,” said a comment.

Another comment reads, “Our country possesses world-class quality calves and vegetables, which are exported to the European markets, and you, Akhnnouch come with cattle with unknown identity and genes.”

Parliament and government spokesman Mustapha Baitas has warned against these claims, insisting that ONSA only issues certificates following rigorous control and that several laboratory studies have been carried out to ensure the quality of the imported cattle.

The import process underwent meticulous health checks, including one by ONSSA, to guarantee that the market is supplied with quality products, Baitas argued, further explaining that measures would be implemented to facilitate meat import and ensure adequate supply for Aid Al Adha.

Brazilian Local Cattle

Brazilian cattle are less expensive to import than that of other South American countries, leading to “quality versus quantity” concerns. Ireland is also a leader in quality, but importing Irish cattle is more costly than Brazil.

During a 2022 interview with Farmers Journal, Brazilian beef exporter, Dyego Pedott, acknowledged that “the only thing Brazilian beef can compete with Irish beef on is the price.”

Pettot added: “Brazilian beef is ‘still not that great’ compared to other beef produced in other countries.”

According to research from the Wilson Center, an American think-tank, “beef production in Brazil, as in most of the world, is distributed across a long supply chain where the animals are transferred between properties several times to complete the breeding, fattening, and processing cycle, which includes cow-calf production, stocker production, and finishing operations.”

Morocco’s Inspection Process

Moroccan citizens have been wary of the quality of imported cattle, but Mohamed Sadiki, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, Water, and Forests, has reassured Moroccans that the cattle undergo a “strict control process” upon arrival in Morocco.

First, veterinarians take blood samples from the cattle and send them to laboratories to test for potential diseases, he has said. Once confirmed disease-free, the cows receive vaccinations and are given identity numbers.

If the cows are unfit for consumption after diagnosis, they are slaughtered immediately. Otherwise, they are quarantined for twenty days, enter the breeding phase, and finally wait for slaughter.

Inflation Concerns Increase

Because of the decision to import beef from Brazil rather than the European Union to stabilize costs nationwide, butchers are expected to set their profit margin in hopes of selling the meat at a reasonable price.

The pressure from citizens to bring the price of red meat to its usual rate has increased, especially after the Moroccan government promised to lower prices during Ramadan.

One kilogram of red meat currently exceeds MAD 120 ($11) across Morocco; in October 2022, the price was MAD 70 ($7). However, the prices of beef imported from Brazil will now range between MAD 65 ($6.4) and 67 ($6.6) per kilogram.

But it remains to be seen whether the recent controversy over the quality of Brazilian cattle will impact Morocco’s imports from the South American country in the near future.