Moroccan Federation Debunks Rumors: Imported Eid Al-Adha Sheep Cost 2,850 Dirhams, Not 700

The Federation says it is following with "great concern" these "false statements" regarding sheep importers for the sacrifice on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, reports the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia, specifying that these statements could lead to tensions between importers and citizens.

In reality, the price of sheep imported from Europe is 57 dirhams per kilo and therefore 2,850 dirhams for a sheep weighing 50 kilos, and not 700 dirhams according to the rumor, the Federation recalls, stressing that the objective of the importers is to help the government ensure sufficient availability of sheep for Eid Al-Adha. The Federation also mentions the difficulty for importers to find sheep, which have become scarce in some European countries due to the high demand from Arab countries.

For its part, the government has taken measures to avoid a rise in the price of the Eid sheep so that it is accessible to households. These include the exemption from import duties and VAT on imported sheep, the establishment of a flat-rate subsidy of $50 per head of imported sheep, and the reduction from 15,000 to 400 heads of the threshold required to benefit from this subsidy.

The Federation also stressed the need to control the distribution circuit of sheep to prevent the activity of intermediaries, which could nullify all the efforts made by the government to put sheep on the market at affordable prices.