Chicken prices have surged to unprecedented levels in several Moroccan cities, and early market signals suggest the rally is far from over. In Tangier, live chicken is now selling at retail for 26 to 27 dirhams per kilogram, a price industry insiders describe as a record for the local market.
The root cause, according to poultry professionals, lies further up the supply chain: the price of day-old chicks. Farmers are currently paying between 18 and 20 dirhams per chick, a sharp jump from more moderate levels just months ago. That added cost ripples through the entire production chain, pushing the farm-gate price of live chicken to roughly 20 dirhams per kilogram, even before transport costs and retail margins are factored in.
A poultry trader in Tangier, describing the pressures behind the price spike, painted a difficult picture for retailers caught in the middle. Daily sales volumes have dropped to less than a quarter of normal levels, even as many shop owners continue paying monthly rents above 18,000 dirhams. To avoid letting go of staff who have worked with them for years, several owners say they are now covering salaries out of their own personal savings.
The trader is calling on the relevant authorities to step in urgently, specifically to regulate chick prices and oversee the broader poultry production chain. Such intervention, he argues, is the only way to protect both consumers’ purchasing power and the financial stability of professionals working in the sector.
Poultry remains a staple of daily nutrition for Moroccan households, which makes the current cost pressure particularly sensitive. Rising input costs are straining an already tight balance between producers, distributors and consumers, and if no corrective measures are introduced soon, the market signals cited by industry players point to further price increases in the days ahead. That would weigh directly on household budgets just as colder months approach, a season when poultry consumption traditionally rises in Morocco.
The episode is a reminder of just how exposed the national poultry sector remains to swings in input costs, and why keeping the prices of basic food staples stable continues to be a pressing concern for both policymakers and ordinary consumers across the country.
