The Moroccan government will provide monetary support to sheep importers amid Eid al-Adha.
The upcoming Aïd Al-Adha holiday will see Morocco importing sheep for the first time in the country’s history, in order to stabilize the market against speculative behavior and rampant inflation.
The government will subsidize the import with a sum of 500 dirhams per sheep, with the condition that the sacrificial animals are sold within the price range of 50 to 55 dirhams per kilogram.
According to Mohamed Jebli, President of the Moroccan Federation for Livestock Operators, this governmental support aims to streamline the import process due to the current high prices of sheep caused by high demand from other Islamic nations.
Jebli is confident that this aid will ensure the availability of sacrificial animals without adversely affecting the national herd and putting it under stress, given the unprecedented drought and inflation the country is suffering from.
Morocco will import from 5 to 10 percent of its sheep requirements for Eid.
In terms of pricing, Jebli anticipates that the national herd’s prices will range from 60 to 70 dirhams per kilogram, while imported sheep will not exceed 55 dirhams.
The import move was not welcomed by all. The PJD party, who headed the two former government coalitions, lambasted the move, stressing that the primary beneficiary of this project would be large investors and big farmers who would import these sheep, enjoy tax exemptions, buy them at lower prices, and sell them in the local market at higher prices.
The Moroccan Times.
