Drought Decimates Morocco’s Livestock, Threatening Future Eid Celebrations

The livestock crisis persists in Morocco. The national herd has fallen by 38% compared to 2016, the year a general agricultural census was conducted, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Ahmed El Bouari, said at the weekly press conference following the Cabinet meeting last week. Morocco has thus lost more than a third of its national herd in 9 years. This drastic drop in the herd is explained by several factors. "The situation was already fragile over the years. It only took a hard and lasting drought combined with the surge in animal feed prices for the system to collapse," explains agro-economist Larbi Zagdouni to RFI.

Faced with the drastic decline in the herd, the government has announced "a comprehensive program to support the animal production sector". This program includes six components, focusing on animal nutrition, through the supply of subsidized feed to breeders, technical support aimed at improving the productivity of sheep, goats, cattle and camels, as well as animal health, El Bouari said. In Zagdouni’s eyes, this program will not be enough. According to him, the Moroccan agricultural model needs to be rethought. "We have further weakened our livestock system by reducing its essential base. This type of policy has been amplified with the advent in 2008 of the so-called water-saving program, which has ended up translating into a disproportionate expansion of irrigated areas, at a time when water supplies from rainfall have continued to decline," explains the expert.

This situation raises fears of the cancellation of the Eid sacrifice. Will this ritual be performed this year? The Minister of Agriculture was unable to answer this concern.