Morocco Intensifies Monitoring of Fruit and Vegetable Prices to Combat Speculation

Minister Boutayeb stated before the House of Advisors that "monitoring and surveillance include wholesale sales and payments in order to fight against all forms of illegal practices, including monopoly and speculation... Vegetable and fruit prices recorded in 2020 are relatively stable compared to previous years, thanks to the abundance of supply."

The monitoring process takes into account the rest of the sales outlets, including the stores that underwent control operations in 2020, added the minister, who recalled that a total of 268,000 production and storage stores had been inspected. As a result of this control operation, 4,800 infringement files were referred to the competent courts, including 168 for price increases.

The minister also indicated that after the Green Morocco Plan, which gave a strong impetus to Moroccan agriculture, a national plan will be implemented, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, in order to give a regional dimension to the wholesale markets.

The Minister of Agriculture Aziz Akhannouch, in a response to an oral question before the House of Representatives, had supported that "Moroccan agriculture meets national needs and domestic demand." According to him, Morocco has "reached 65% for cereals, 47% for sugar, 100% for fruits and vegetables, 100% for red and white meat and eggs, and 99% for milk and dairy products."