ANICE dissapointed about the live animal exports to Algeria
This measure will reduce supplies to national slaughterhouses in a tense market, where sheep prices have reached historic records due to the sharp decline in the sheep population recorded in recent years.
The Spanish National Association of Meat Industries (ANICE) regrets the decision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA) to authorize the export of live sheep to Algeria, an agreement that will come into effect on Monday, April 21.
The sharp decline in the sheep population recorded in recent years has reduced the supply of animals, putting pressure on prices for slaughter animals, which are also at historic levels. The rise in animal prices continues to be influenced by the increase in live exports to third countries, with Morocco as the main destination, now joined by Algeria, also in the case of sheep.
Algeria had established itself as a strategic market for Spanish exports of meat and offal, both beef and sheep. This decision puts at risk a fundamental part of the livestock-meat value chain, shifting activity toward a speculative market focused on the trade of live animals, which will only be sustained as long as the favorable situation persists.
To illustrate the importance of this market and its strategic significance, in the case of sheep meat and offal exports, Algeria ranked third globally in volume and second in value in 2024, leading the ranking among third-party countries in both cases. In the case of beef, since 2019, meat and offal exports to Algeria have experienced significant growth: more than 116% in value and more than 40% in volume. This growth has allowed the country to consolidate its position as the fourth-largest global destination for Spanish beef exports and the main one outside the European Union by 2024, with a volume of 26,514 tons. In terms of value, sales reached €149.56 million, placing Algeria as the fourth-largest market worldwide and, once again, the largest outside the European Union. The export of live animals to Algeria has always been an impassable health barrier for the Spanish government (due to the health problems that return shipments from countries with a high prevalence of highly contagious animal diseases can cause), and although only the export of live animals is permitted, by boat, it's legitimate to wonder what the reasons are, or what has happened now that didn't happen before, for this restriction to be lifted.
"At a time marked by a shortage of animals in the domestic market, which has generated tensions and driven sheep prices to record highs, the authorization of live animal exports represents an easy solution that harms the meat chain and all the links that generate added value. This measure directly affects the competitiveness of the sector and the international projection of the Spain Brand" said ANICE's general director, Giuseppe Aloisio.
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