Mustafa, a trader of vegetables and fruits in the Moroccan city of Rabat, woke up early in the morning and went to the wholesale market to supply various kinds of vegetables and fruits for his shop, in order to present them to his customers fresh and fresh, before the blessed month of Ramadan, in which his shop is witnessing a great turnout.

Bouchaib (a fish seller in Rabat) moved to the wholesale market in Casablanca to bring in a variety of fish, which families would like before and during Ramadan to prepare salted items as main dishes.

Many products are known during Ramadan, and the markets for basic products are dynamic, especially before Ramadan and during the first week of it, as the demand for food products related to the customs and traditions of Moroccans increases during Ramadan.

Abundant markets

On a field tour to the most prominent wholesale and installment markets in Rabat (the capital), Al-Jazeera Net observed an abundance of various markets (vegetables, fruits, grains, groceries, poultry, eggs and fish), as the markets are filled with all kinds and types.

Abdel Ilah Bahja, general secretary of the Union of Associations of Wholesale Market Associations for Vegetables and Fruits in Morocco, said in a statement to Al-Jazeera Net that the markets are witnessing an abundance of products despite the pandemic.

Bahja, who also heads the Association of Vegetable and Fruit Merchants in Rabat, recorded that the current agricultural season was characterized by good rains, which made the market known to be satisfied.

For his part, Taher Abu Al-Falah, head of a professional association for proximity merchants in Casablanca, stresses the diversity and abundance of supply, telling Al-Jazeera Net, "We do not record a dearth or scarcity in any of the basic materials of wide use during Ramadan."

A communiqué of the Moroccan Ministry of Interior confirmed that the current and expected supply situation during the coming weeks and months is characterized by an abundant and varied supply that meets the needs of citizens in all labor and regions of the Kingdom of various basic materials and products, whether local or imported, especially those that are in great demand on the occasion of the month of Ramadan. .

In turn, the general secretary of consumer protection associations in Morocco, Wadih Madih, states that the availability of products is no longer a problem in Morocco, and some production bodies, such as egg producers, issued notifications to reassure citizens confirming that the supply is sufficient.

Mustafa, the vegetable dealer in Rabat, witnesses a great turnout during Ramadan (Al-Jazeera)

Relatively stable prices

Some products are experiencing a relatively high price, especially with the high demand due to consumption habits during Ramadan, and the Moroccan government has taken measures to suspend customs duties in particular on some basic products such as grains.

With regard to food grains, especially chickpeas and lentils, the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture said that the import process was carried out regularly and in sufficient quantities and quality to meet the needs of grain for the manufacturing industries and to constantly replenish the internal stocks, and that the prices in force for these commodities in the Moroccan market are relatively stable.

Wadih Madih, on behalf of the Consumer Protection Associations, says that the first week of Ramadan usually witnesses an increase in demand, which leads to a slight increase in prices, and returns to stabilize the rest of the month.

The head of the professionals of the grain and legumes market in Rabat explains that trade is affected by the pandemic, noting that the state has reduced customs, which made the prices of some products such as Egyptian sesame and almonds low, and the prices of grains and pulses stable.

The Moroccan authorities indicated (a communication to the Ministry of the Interior) that the prices of basic materials are known for the most part stable, and remain at their normal levels, with some relative changes recorded in the prices of some materials compared to the same period last year, such as the relative decline recorded in the prices of vegetables, red meat and grains. And dried fruits, and the recorded relative increase in the prices of edible oils, white meat and eggs.

The High Planning Commission had expected some slowdown in animal production due to the continuous decline in chick production and the decrease in poultry meat production by 4.9%, and attributed the increases in oil prices to the increase in the prices of raw materials in the international market (last week the FAO recorded an increase in oil prices internationally) .

The delegate said that the risks of inflation will remain limited in the short term, as the improvement of the dirham price against the dollar will limit the impact of the high prices of imported raw materials on local prices, and the improvement of the agricultural season during this year will contribute to keeping the inflation rate during 2021 at moderate levels.

The demand for foodstuffs rises during the month of Ramadan in the Moroccan markets (Al-Jazeera)

Purchasing power affected by Corona

According to the various actors in the Moroccan market, the demand, despite its high, is declining compared to previous years during Ramadan, and the turnout is almost modest despite all the diversity and abundance in the markets, and the actors explain this situation by the decrease in purchasing power as a result of the repercussions of the Corona crisis, as many families were affected, and many lost their income. Or part of it.

Al-Taher Abu Al-Falah says that there is moderate demand for basic items during Ramadan due to the pandemic that has affected the market.

He adds that merchants are afraid of the night closing during Ramadan and its consequences (Morocco decided to set a blanket quarantine between eight in the evening and six in the morning).

In turn, the head of the grain market in Rabat confirms that the turnout is decent.

Because many sectors have been affected, purchasing power has decreased, and many households have reduced their purchases.

Seasonal censorship and a runaway parallel sector

Monitoring units strive during Ramadan, but they remain seasonal and insufficient, according to the actors.

Wadih Madih says that some suppliers take advantage of the Ramadan boom to raise prices, and some of them pass goods of unknown sources and smuggled, or that do not respect standards, especially in unregulated markets.

Wadih considers that monitoring remains weak and does not cover all markets, and has not yet achieved the most basic consumer rights represented in declaring prices upon sale, which is an important measure and its simple implementation.

Representatives of traders in various markets, with whom Al Jazeera Net spoke, consider that the parallel market and the informal sector remains a black point in the chain of quality control and the safety of consumption, and that random markets and street vendors sometimes provide materials that do not respect health and quality standards, nor competition laws, and in return. Regulated markets witness patrols, which are concerned with prices, quality and safety.