Sardine Prices Soar in Morocco, Putting Traditional Staple Out of Reach for Many

The price per kilogram of sardines known as the "poor man’s fish" has gone from 10 dirhams to more than 25 dirhams, much to the dismay of low-income families. The price of a crate of sardines has reached 450 dirhams, says Thami, a fish seller in Azemmour. "We buy the sardines at 17.5 dirhams and sell them at 20 dirhams, but some sell the sardines at 25 dirhams," he further specified to the site Al3omk.

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What are the causes of this increase in the price of sardines? The merchants of the fish market point the finger at speculators and intermediaries. Thami denounces the existence of a "clear manipulation of prices due to the lack of control by the competent authorities". A seller from the Azemmour fish market adds: "They don’t leave us anything, we are content with a maximum of one or two dirhams of profit per kilogram". This surge in sardine prices is not without consequences on the purchasing power of consumers. "It’s not our fault, our profits are very low, and some days we can’t even meet the basic needs of our children," he excuses himself.

"Moroccans are suffering and can no longer keep up with this explosive rise in prices. The problem lies not only in the fish, but in all kinds of meats whose prices have increased illogically," explained Moussa, secretary of the fish market. According to him, the lack of control is the cause of the explosive rise in prices. According to his explanations, there is a group of intermediaries and merchants who control the market, buying large quantities of fish from fishermen at low prices, then reselling them to consumers at multiplied prices, thus taking advantage of the scarcity of supply.

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Faced with this situation, Moussa calls on King Mohammed VI "to intervene to give instructions to control prices".