Latest news with #AlAoula
Ya Biladi
25-05-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Ecuador strengthens ties with Morocco : Embassy to open in Rabat
«Ecuador to Open Embassy in Morocco». This announcement was made by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. This new diplomatic representation in Rabat aims to «strengthen bilateral relations, boost trade and investment, and promote cooperation in security, technology, and information». This project was discussed during a meeting between Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld and her Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, yesterday in Quito, on the eve of Daniel Noboa's new inauguration for a second term (2025-2029). In a statement to the press at Quito airport, the Moroccan Foreign Minister hailed «the historic moment in relations between the Kingdom and Ecuador», noting that «this is the first visit by a Moroccan Foreign Minister to Quito». Bourita added: «We wish to support His Excellency the President in his efforts to ensure the development and stability of his country.» It is worth recalling that in October 2024, Ecuador suspended its recognition of the «Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)». Two months after this decision, Nasser Bourita held a meeting via videoconference with Gabriela Sommerfeld. In response to this decision, Algeria suspended its imports of bananas from this Andean country, causing a surge in the price of this product in the Algerian market. The lifting of this ban was the subject of a meeting in Quito between Ecuadorian Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Játiva and Algerian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sofiane Chaib. Ecuadorian Ministers of Production and Agriculture also participated in these discussions, according to Ecuadorian diplomacy. The ministry led by Ahmed Attaf has not yet communicated about this meeting. Meanwhile, Morocco is focusing on agriculture in its relations with Quito. «We have developed cooperation in the food sector, ensuring the supply of fertilizers. We have also increased our imports of bananas from Ecuador. We are strengthening the partnership between our ports», stated Nasser Bourita on Al Aoula's evening news.
Morocco World
24-03-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Government Under Scrutiny After Nizar Baraka's Latest Statements on Sheep Prices
Rabat – Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, is facing intense criticism following his recent appearance on the political TV show 'Nokta Ila Satr' on Al Aoula, where he made what some commentators deemed as 'corrupt' remarks about sheep prices. The backlash stemmed from Baraka's statement that the government had allocated MAD 130 million ($ 13.54 million) in public funds to sheep importers last year, enabling them to earn substantial profits while Moroccans struggle in a cost-of-living crisis. Many Moroccans found Baraka's comments out of touch with his governmental position, criticizing him for sounding more like an ordinary citizen than a high-ranking politician and leader of the Istiqlal Party. Commentators pointed out that the minister seemed unaware of the government's role in the sharp price increases, despite its ability to implement price caps and regulate profit margins. This disconnect fueled further criticism, especially after Baraka confirmed government financial support for sheep exporters. Baraka has faced similar criticism in the past regarding the same issue. In February, during the lunar month of Shaban, he publicly addressed red meat and poultry sellers, urging them to 'fear Allah' and stop 'eating up Moroccans' money' by excessively inflating prices, which made meat and poultry unaffordable for many. His recent comments contradict previous criticisms of sheep sellers, whom he accused of doubling their profit margins and selling sheep at vastly inflated prices. Although Baraka, an economist with a PhD, has stressed the government's role in protecting citizens' purchasing power through price caps, he also argued that such measures might harm farmers and only benefit importers. Baraka has often suggested that the primary cause of price inflation is greed and profiteering, proposing an ethical economic charter as the solution. He even remarked that the Istiqlal Party could not accept ongoing greed at the expense of citizens' well-being, and called for urgent government action to address this issue. These remarks were particularly contentious given recent comments by Minister of Industry and Trade, Riad Mansour, who revealed that 18 major speculators currently control red meat prices in Morocco, driving profit margins to unprecedented levels. Mansour noted that the margin for importing and distributing red meat had surged from MAD 10–15 ($1-1.05) per kilogram to MAD 40 ($4.17), reflecting both rising import costs and market manipulation. Adding fuel to the corruption fire, there are, albeit unproven, claims that these speculators are mostly parliamentary members and politicians — a dangerous claim that some Moroccans believe given their lack of faith in the government's integrity. Morocco has been grappling with rising food prices in recent years, placing a significant burden on families, especially during Ramadan, when demand for key food items spikes. In February 2025, the High Commission for Planning reported a 0.3% rise in the Consumer Price Index compared to January, while food prices rose by 0.6%. Despite government assurances about market stability, some essential goods continued to see price increases, attributed in part to the ongoing drought, which has now lasted six years. In light of this, some have called for alternative marketing models to reduce the number of intermediaries, potentially lowering prices and providing more affordable goods.
Voice of America
02-03-2025
- General
- Voice of America
Morocco urges people to not buy sheep for Eid al-Adha celebrations
Sheep come running when Larbi El Ghazouani pours alfalfa and straw into their troughs twice a day. The 55-year-old farmer had counted on selling the bulk of his 130 sheep to Moroccans preparing for early June's Eid Al-Adha holiday, but now his hopes are unraveling and he expects to lose around half of his investment. That's because, in a surprising break from tradition, King Mohammed VI on Wednesday urged Moroccans to forgo buying sheep to be sacrificed during this year's holiday amid record inflation and climate change. A seven-year drought has decimated the country's livestock, causing sheep prices to surge beyond the reach of working class families. "Performing it (the sacrifice) in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income," the king, who is also Morocco's highest religious authority, wrote in letter read on state-run Al Aoula television. Drought has driven some of his neighbors to stop breeding livestock, so he said he understood the circumstances that led to the king's decision. He still plans to breed more ewes to be sold before next year's holiday. But for breeders like him, the cancelling of Eid festivities will deal a heavy blow. It costs El Ghazouani roughly 1,500 Moroccan dirhams ($150) to feed a sheep for one year on a diet of straw, alfalfa and fava beans — a 50% spike from only three years ago. Now he and other breeders are preparing to wait. It will be another year of buying feed before they can sell them. "There's a difference between the years before the drought and what we're suffering today," he said, tending to sheep on his farm outside the city of Kenitra. "I wasted money on fodder and made an effort with these sheep." Eid al-Adha, which takes place this year in early June, is an annual "feast of sacrifice" in which Muslims slaughter livestock to honor a passage of the Quran in which the prophet Ibrahim prepared to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, who intervened and replaced the child with a sheep. It's a major holiday from Senegal to Indonesia, with traditions so embedded that families have been known to take out loans to buy sheep. The prices have become so exorbitant that 55% of families surveyed by the Moroccan NGO Moroccan Center for Citizenship last year said they struggled to cover the costs of purchasing sheep and the utensils needed to prepare them. More than 7% of respondents said they either took out loans or borrowed money from acquaintances to buy the sacrificial sheep. The sheep price spikes are driven by increasingly sparse pastures, which offer less grazing room and raise the costs of feed for herders and farmers. Morocco's agricultural minister told reporters earlier this month that rainfall this season was currently 53% below the last 30 years' annual average and sheep and cattle herds had shrunk 38% since 2016, the last time Morocco conducted a livestock census. The price of preferred domestic sheep can often exceed monthly household earnings in Morocco, where the monthly minimum wage remains 3,000 Moroccan dirhams ($302). The country has in recent years subsidized and imported livestock, including from Romania, Spain and Australia, from which it plans to import 100,000 sheep this year. To keep prices steady, Morocco this year removed import duties and VAT on livestock and red meat. It's the first time in 29 years that Morocco has asked citizens to forgo holiday feasting and reflects that food prices remain a struggle for many despite Morocco's transformation from a largely agrarian nation to a mixed economy whose cities have some of the Middle East and Africa's most modern infrastructure. King Hassan II issued similar decrees three times throughout his reign, during wartime, drought and when the IMF mandated Morocco end food subsidies.
Euronews
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Drought-hit Morocco urges people not to buy sheep for Eid al-Adha celebrations
Morocco's King Mohammed VI has urged people not to buy sheep to slaughter during this year's Eid al-Adha festivities due to a huge decline in the country's herd. In a letter read on state-run Al Aoula television this week, the king said record inflation and climate change were to blame for soaring livestock prices and a shortage of sheep. "Our commitment to enabling you to fulfil this religious rite under the best conditions is accompanied by the duty to consider the climatic and economic challenges facing our country, which have led to a significant decline in livestock numbers," wrote King Mohammed VI — who is also the north African country's highest religious authority. "Performing it (the sacrifice) in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income," he added. Eid al-Adha, which takes place this year in June, is an annual "feast of sacrifice" in which Muslims slaughter livestock to honour a passage of the Qu'ran in which the prophet Ibrahim prepared to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, who intervened and replaced the child with a sheep. It is a major holiday for millions of Muslims worldwide — from Morocco to Indonesia — with traditions so embedded that families often take out loans in order to buy sheep. The cost of a sheep can often exceed monthly household earnings in Morocco, where the monthly minimum wage is about 3,000 Moroccan dirhams (€290). The prices have become so exorbitant that 55% of families surveyed by the NGO Moroccan Center for Citizenship last year said they struggled to cover the costs of purchasing sheep and the utensils needed to prepare them. The price spikes are driven by increasingly sparse pastures, which offer less grazing room and raise the costs of feed for herders and farmers. Morocco's agricultural minister said earlier this month that rainfall this season was currently 53% below the last 30 years' annual average, and that sheep and cattle herds had shrunk 38% since 2016, when the country last conducted a livestock census. The country has in recent years subsidised and imported livestock, including from Romania, Spain and Australia, from which it plans to import 100,000 sheep this year. In a bid to keep prices steady, Morocco this year removed import duties and VAT on livestock and red meat. It marks the first time in nearly three decades that Morocco has asked citizens to forgo holiday feasting at Eid al-Adha. Although Morocco has transformed from a largely agrarian nation to a mixed economy whose cities have some of the Middle East and Africa's most modern infrastructure, food prices remain a struggle for many people.
Arab News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Morocco urges people to not buy sheep for Eid Al-Adha celebrations
OULAD SLAMA: Sheep come running when Larbi El Ghazouani pours alfalfa and straw into their troughs twice a day. The 55-year-old farmer had counted on selling the bulk of his 130 sheep to Moroccans preparing for early June's Eid Al-Adha holiday, but now his hopes are unraveling and he expects to lose around half of his because, in a surprising break from tradition, King Mohammed VI on Wednesday urged Moroccans to forgo buying sheep to be sacrificed during this year's holiday amid record inflation and climate change. A seven-year drought has decimated the country's livestock, causing sheep prices to surge beyond the reach of working class families.'Performing it (the sacrifice) in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income,' the king, who is also Morocco's highest religious authority, wrote in letter read on state-run Al Aoula has driven some of his neighbors to stop breeding livestock, so he said he understood the circumstances that led to the king's decision. He still plans to breed more ewes to be sold before next year's holiday. But for breeders like him, the canceling of Eid festivities will deal a heavy costs El Ghazouani roughly 1,500 Moroccan dirhams ($150) to feed a sheep for one year on a diet of straw, alfalfa and fava beans — a 50 percent spike from only three years ago. Now he and other breeders are preparing to wait. It will be another year of buying feed before they can sell them.'There's a difference between the years before the drought and what we're suffering today,' he said, tending to sheep on his farm outside the city of Kenitra. 'I wasted money on fodder and made an effort with these sheep.'Eid Al-Adha, which takes place this year in early June, is an annual 'feast of sacrifice' in which Muslims slaughter livestock to honor a passage of the Qur'an in which the prophet Ibrahim prepared to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, who intervened and replaced the child with a sheep. It's a major holiday from Senegal to Indonesia, with traditions so embedded that families have been known to take out loans to buy prices have become so exorbitant that 55 percent of families surveyed by the Moroccan NGO Moroccan Center for Citizenship last year said they struggled to cover the costs of purchasing sheep and the utensils needed to prepare them. More than 7 percent of respondents said they either took out loans or borrowed money from acquaintances to buy the sacrificial sheep price spikes are driven by increasingly sparse pastures, which offer less grazing room and raise the costs of feed for herders and farmers. Morocco's agricultural minister told reporters earlier this month that rainfall this season was currently 53 percent below the last 30 years' annual average and sheep and cattle herds had shrunk 38 percent since 2016, the last time Morocco conducted a livestock price of preferred domestic sheep can often exceed monthly household earnings in Morocco, where the monthly minimum wage remains 3,000 Moroccan dirhams ($302). The country has in recent years subsidized and imported livestock, including from Romania, Spain and Australia, from which it plans to import 100,000 sheep this year. To keep prices steady, Morocco this year removed import duties and VAT on livestock and red the first time in 29 years that Morocco has asked citizens to forgo holiday feasting and reflects that food prices remain a struggle for many despite Morocco's transformation from a largely agrarian nation to a mixed economy whose cities have some of the Middle East and Africa's most modern infrastructure. King Hassan II issued similar decrees three times throughout his reign, during wartime, drought and when the IMF mandated Morocco end food subsidies.
