In Morocco, demonstrations are planned for this Saturday, April 8th, against the high cost of living, this Saturday morning in the central market of Rabat, the capital. There, the prices of all foodstuffs have increased in recent months, especially in the middle of Ramadan. Consumers and merchants are struggling to find their way around.
Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, drought… Morocco has been hard hit by the economic crisis in recent months, particularly in food products.
In Rabat, in the central market of the medina, the manager of the Belhaj butcher shop will reduce his orders because customers consume less than usual: “There are people who bought for example 2 kg, now they buy 1 kg. They can no longer buy the 2 kg because the prices have gone up. Their budget for meat is still the same and that is why the quantity purchased has decreased”.
In the middle of Ramadan, every evening is a party
On average, food prices have jumped 20% since last year, but vegetables are the most affected. In March alone, traders had to increase their prices by more than 17%, explains this scoop: “I, too, find difficulties with customers and even with wholesalers. To buy vegetables is very very expensive. Even at a wholesaler.”
In the middle of Ramadan where every evening is a party, the observation for this market regular is bitter: “Everything we buy every day is really expensive. The price doubles. Sometimes you find things you should use but can’t buy. Onions at 25 dirhams [2.23 euros], potatoes at 15 dirhams [1.34 euros]. It’s a bit expensive for everyone.”