Morocco’s dairy farmers face soaring prices for imported cattle

Several Moroccan agricultural cooperatives specializing in milk production are struggling to meet members’ demand for importing dairy cattle from Europe and the United States, amid high international prices and restrictions on imports from some European countries.

A source familiar with the matter told Hespress AR that cooperatives have accumulated requests from farmers awaiting a decision that would reopen imports of dairy cattle breeds.

Import procedures from European countries affected by infectious animal diseases are expected to be eased beginning in October, the source said. Morocco had suspended imports from those countries and tied their resumption to official declarations that the diseases had been eradicated and the affected countries had fully recovered.

Farmers and dairy cooperatives seeking to bring in new cattle are also facing high international prices, driven by strong demand for milk-producing breeds and limited supply, the source said.

The head of one of Morocco’s largest dairy cooperatives told Hespress that prices had reached unprecedented levels. The cooperative attempted to purchase cattle from Portugal but abandoned the effort temporarily after suppliers demanded high prices.

Portuguese suppliers were asking about 5,000 euros per cow, excluding transportation and shipping costs, the cooperative head said. He added that prices could rise further once those costs are included.

Despite the financial burden, dairy farmers have little choice but to absorb the higher costs and purchase new cattle to maintain production, he said.

The U.S. market, which has a larger supply of dairy cattle, has also proven costly. Producers there have quoted prices of about $6,000 per animal, excluding transportation and shipping costs, according to the cooperative head.

The combination of import restrictions, limited international supply and sharply higher prices has complicated efforts by Moroccan farmers and dairy cooperatives to replenish and expand their herds, according to the sources.