Rabat – Morocco’s poultry professionals have reviewed the sector as the holy month of Ramadan approaches.
Ahmed El Bouari, Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, recently met with poultry sector professionals to assess sector conditions, supply levels, and price stabilization strategies amid growing demand.
A statement from the Moroccan Interprofessional Federation of the Poultry Sector (FISA) revealed the development of the sector’s production and importation.
FISA outlined that, by the end of October 2024, the cumulative placements of one-day-old broiler chicks reached 391.137 million, compared to 370.946 million at the same time in 2023, reflecting a 5% increase.
Meanwhile, cumulative placements of one-day-old turkey poults, including both imports and domestic production, reached 14.306 million, up from 12.265 million in October 2023, marking a 17% growth.
But placements of pullets experienced a decline, totaling 11.893 million by the end of October 2024, recording a 12% decrease to the previous year. FISA’s statement attributed this drop to the extension of the rearing period for laying hens, which increased from 75-80 weeks in 2023 to 90-100 weeks in 2024, according to the federation.
It revealed that national production estimates featured 735,000 tons of poultry meat by the end of October 2024, compared to 695,000 tons during the same period in 2023, marking a 6% increase.
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Similarly, table egg production reached 5.5 billion units by the end of October 2024, up from 5.3 billion in October 2023, reflecting a 4% growth.
Prices of poultry products on domestic markets are dependent on the strict mechanisms of supply and demand, said the sector’s interprofessional body, noting that “intermediaries, while playing a crucial role between producers and consumers, remain a key factor in driving up the prices of poultry products.
To respond to this issue, the solution lies in encouraging aggregation, developing integrated ecosystems, reducing marginal costs, and promoting the development of industrial slaughterhouses.
The minister’s meeting with the sector’s professionals also focused on measures to reduce imports and ensure a steady supply of breeding chickens for the country. These include the establishment of grandparent breeding farms, particularly for broilers.
Poultry, in particular, is a key ingredient in traditional dishes such as tagines, making its availability and affordability a matter of public concern.
Last month, the Moroccan Competition Council launched an investigation into certain pricing and non-pricing commercial practices within the poultry feed market and related sectors, to ensure fair competition and safeguard consumers from potential price distortions.
