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In a communiqué issued Thursday night, Saadeddine El Othmani’s government urged Moroccans to stop boycotting products of the local unit of French dairy giant Danone, including milk. The statement called boycotters to reconsider their commitment to the viral campaign, saying that «continuing the boycott is likely to negatively affect dairy farmers».
The government also warned against «the consequences the boycott might have on domestic and foreign investment and the national economy». The same argument was used in May at the House of Representatives, when Delegate-Minister for General Affairs and Governance Lahcen Daoudi answered an oral question at the House of Representatives stating that :
«It is not about the impact the boycott can have but also because of the fear of having one of the three companies close its doors».
Improving the purchasing power of Moroccans
In order to defend its stance, the government promised to «launch initiatives aimed at improving the purchasing power of Moroccans». Moreover, it reiterated its «committed will to control the market and assist the quality of products», without giving further details on the measures it is planning to take.
It also invited Moroccan «citizens to consider the current delicate situation and avoid doing more harm to farmers and the agricultural sector».
The government’s communiqué, similar to the one published on May the 10th, recalled that 120 thousand farmers and 600 thousand families live on the purchases of Centrale-Danone.
This communiqué comes after Central Danone announced, Tuesday, that it has reduced its raw milk purchases by 30%.
For the record, a boycott campaign emerged on social media last month, targeting Centrale Danone, Mineral Water Company Oulmes and the country’s leading fuel distributor Afriquia SMDC. The boycott has been a way for internet users to protest against consumer prices in the country.
