The Hecho Valley, in the Aragonese Pyrenees, offers the classic image of traditional livestock farming. The mountains and green meadows make up the setting for Jorge, a rancher who keeps an ancient trade alive. However, behind this image lies the fact that the best meat produced in these lands rarely ends up on the tables of Spanish homes. In fact, its main destination is crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.
Morocco has established itself as the new major market for Spanish livestock. As Jorge explains to the YouTube channel @MPDANCAUSA, this change has been a great boost to the profitability of exports: “Thanks to the fact that they do not eat pork, the price of their calves has doubled.”
“In Spain there is something left for the local consumer, but it is becoming more and more difficult”
Figures from the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) and the interprofessional Provacuno support this trend. In 2025 alone, beef exports to Morocco grew by 25%, totaling more than 5,000 tons and doubling the volume compared to previous years.
Given this situation, Morocco authorized the import of fresh meat at the end of 2024, making Spain its strategic supplier and food lifesaver. However, while the highest quality national product travels south, the situation in our country presents a strong contrast.
Beef has reached historic prices at origin, exceeding €6.50/kg, which raises prime costs to 20 or 30 euros per kilo on the counters. As a consequence, per capita consumption in Spanish households remains at a minimum, hovering around 4 kg per year.
The truth is that our country is experiencing the paradox of exporting premium meat worth more than 1.4 billion euros, while importing cheaper costs from Poland or the Netherlands to cover demand.
“Something remains here, but at a very expensive price for the Spanish consumer. It is becoming more and more difficult for us,” Jorge details. And this market dynamic is explained through several keys: the high willingness to pay in Arab markets for safe meat and the evident difference in commercial margins compared to inflation.
“The meat that we raise in Spain is highly valued in the rest of the countries or the world. Eating meat from our country is quite difficult because very little remains here, most of it is exported because it is highly valued.”