Chicken Crisis in Morocco: A Historic Rise in Prices Worries Households

Moroccan markets are in turmoil as chicken prices reach unprecedented heights, causing concern among households across the country. In just two days, prices have skyrocketed by nearly 30%, far exceeding the purchasing power of the majority of families.

A Shock on Social Media

The news had the effect of a bomb on social networks, where people mocked and were indignant at this sudden surge in prices. The price of chicken increased from 1 dirham to 2 dirhams, depending on the market, in just one month, causing an outcry among consumers.

According to information reported by the Moroccan press, the prices of “free-range chicken” have reached record levels. Poultry sellers at the Darb Sultan market in Casablanca, who had never seen such high prices at this time of year, sold chicken for 23 dirhams. Some of them mention exceptional cases linked to the mortality of chicks due to extreme heat.

The Explosion of Prices by Type of Chicken

The surge in prices spares no category of poultry. The price of “broiler chicken” increases to 15 dirhams, well above the usual 10 dirhams in extreme situations. As for “local chicken”, the kilogram now reaches 80 dirhams, with a forecast increase of at least 2 dirhams in the days to come. In industrial slaughterhouses, prices even exceed 30 dirhams per kilogram for “chicken”.

Impact on Purchasing Power

These considerable increases weigh heavily on the purchasing power of households, particularly those who have made poultry their alternative to already expensive red meat.

Some citizens even fear that the price of a kilogram of live chicken will reach unprecedented levels in the coming days, thus calling on government authorities for urgent intervention to stem this crisis.

Factors Causing

Although this price increase is brutal for consumers, the Moroccan Association of Poultry Breeders had repeatedly expressed its concerns about the financial consequences for breeders in recent months, fearing their impact on production and, consequently , on prices. Professionals in the sector emphasize that this increase in prices is beyond their control, attributing this to the increase in the cost of raw materials used in the production of animal feed, a cost largely influenced by fuel prices.

The Deep Causes of the Crisis

The Professional Federation of Poultry Producers points to the rise in international prices of corn, soya and sunflower, which represent 80% of the components of poultry feed. This upward trend, which has been ongoing for a year, impacts the prices of compound feeds and, consequently, leads to an increase in production costs.

The skyrocketing fuel prices, indicated by all indicators, are also causing concern among professionals, thus further fueling fears of an escalation in chicken prices in the days to come.

It is crucial to note that white meats are the main source of animal protein for Moroccan households, covering 60% of their protein needs for a healthy diet. Moroccan farms produce more than 600,000 tonnes of white meat annually, including 500,000 tonnes of chicken and 100,000 tonnes of turkey.