Morocco turns to Spain to supply its red meat market. A Moroccan delegation has signed agreements with seven Spanish companies in the sector, reports La Razon on Sunday, December 15. «Two 20-tonne trucks of this product have already headed for Morocco. The price on the wholesale market will be between 70 and 80 dirhams», stresses the same source. The use of meat imports was the subject of talks on October 25 in Rabat between the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ahmed Bouari, and his Spanish counterpart, Luis Planas. Following this meeting, a delegation of Iberian producers visited Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangiers from November 11 to 13, «to strengthen trade relations between the two countries in the meat sector». «During the meetings, growth opportunities for Spanish companies in Morocco were analyzed, fostering direct relations with the main players in the local meat industry», commented the Spanish association of meat industry professionals. The Moroccan government has decided to increase the quota of cattle and sheep covered by the suspension of customs duties and value-added tax (VAT) from 120,000 to 150,000 head. This measure came into force on October 19.
