Sardine Prices Controversy Raises Questions over Market Oversight
The story started when Abdolilah, also known as Abdo, from Marrakech started his initiative to sell sardines at MAD 5 ($0.50) per kilo in his city's local market.
He appeared in a video saying that his decision goes against the current trend of high fish prices caused by 'middlemen who are greedy about money.'
Abdo expressed hope that other fish sellers would follow his lead to curb this greedy behavior.
The young man's move comes in stark contrast to what has become a habit in Moroccan markets where the usual MAD 25 ($2.5) or more is charged for a kilo of sardines in coastal cities like Rabat, Casablanca, and Agadir.
Moving against the trend of maximizing profits from selling fish, Abdo said 'I sell at the price I want, I make a small profit and that's enough,' transforming him into a symbol of resistance against big market powers.
Abdo's approach involves purchasing fish directly from ports and maintaining a slim profit margin of just two dirhams per kilogram. Despite the modest markup, the volume he sells provides sufficient income to sustain his business.
His business model bypasses the middlemen known locally as 'Chnaqa,' who significantly mark up prices without justification.
In response to Abdo, a fisherman working at fish ports in Agadir shared his insights on the controversy over fish prices. He said that the original wholesale prices of sardines, for example, range between MAD 2.5-3 ($0.25-0.30), questioning why vendors sell it to citizens at MAD 15 and calling on the ministry to intervene and monitor prices.
On the other side, several fish vendors raised questions on how they can sell fish at MAD 4-5, knowing that transportation and storage costs must be factored in.
Read also: Morocco's Competition Council Investigates Potential Violation of Sardine Market Competition Standards
Yet most customers appear to contest this explanation, saying that coastal cities should logically offer lower prices, given the absence of transportation costs.
This controversy emerges against a backdrop of fish consumption patterns revealed in a recent market research survey by Sunergia. The study found that 38% of Moroccans consume fish once weekly, while 19% eat fish only twice monthly. About 30% consume fish several times a week, but 4% never eat fish at all—a percentage that could rise due to high prices.
Abdo's rallying cry, 'I am with the poor,' has resonated deeply across social media platforms. His initiative has evolved into a movement calling for a structural reconsideration of pricing mechanisms, market oversight, price controls, and a stronger stance against monopolistic practices and price speculation.
As this debate continues to unfold across Moroccan social media, Abdo's simple fish stand has become a powerful symbol in the ongoing conversation about food affordability and market fairness in Morocco, especially ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. Tags: Fish MoroccoFish prices in MoroccoSardine prices in Morocco
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