Report reveals the reason for the huge increase in the prices of sacrificial animals this year

Agadir24

A report entitled “Public Management of Eid al-Adha 2024” revealed that the reason for the huge increase in sacrificial animal prices this year is due to the lack of supply of sheep, and there are no other reasons that the Ministry of Agriculture tried to justify it with.

The Moroccan Center for Citizenship confirmed in its report that “everyone acknowledges that this year has witnessed record prices unprecedented in Morocco. Despite the many explanations that the supervisory sector has tried to justify this increase, the low supply remains the main reason for this increase. This is an equation that cannot be questioned, as the shortage of sacrificial animals available in the markets has led to an unprecedented rise in prices. In addition, the measures taken by the supervisory sector were not sufficient to ensure the availability of sacrificial animals at reasonable prices.”

The same source pointed out that “the import had no impact on the ground. Rather, there are many sources confirming that these sheep were directed for commercial purposes by butchers, which raises the issue of the role of the supervisory sector in monitoring the allocated support,” stressing that “the attempt to link the high prices of sacrificial animals to the shenaqa lacks objectivity and evidence, as this category has always been an element in the supply chain.”

According to the Moroccan Centre for Citizenship, “It is noted that there is an increase in the tithe fees for sacrificial animals offered for sale, which has contributed to the exacerbation of the price crisis. This measure increases the financial burdens on merchants and consumers alike, which leads to an additional increase in the cost of sacrificial animals, and exacerbates the severity of the economic crisis facing Moroccan families during Eid al-Adha.”

He added, “All indicators confirm a decrease in the percentage of citizens who celebrated this ritual. For example, the amount of waste produced in Casablanca decreased from regarding 16,000 tons in 2023 to 12,000 tons this year, which shows a decline in the number of families who practiced the Eid ritual.”

In light of the unprecedented rise in the prices of sacrificial animals in Morocco’s history, the center stressed that “part of the national capital has been consumed from the herd, especially the ewes and lambs that are being prepared for the next season, which may affect the size of the herd and the price of meat in the future. Without a “biological rest” for the national herd, the crisis will certainly continue with regard to the high prices of meat in the future and it will be difficult for them to return to previous levels.”