Morocco Cancels Eid al-Adha Celebration, Sparking Backlash from Sheep Farmers

In a message read on Wednesday by Ahmed Toufiq, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, the Sovereign invited Moroccans not to celebrate Eid al-Adha this year, recalling that the sacrifice of the sheep "is a confirmed Sunnah conditioned by financial capacity, and that its celebration in these difficult circumstances would certainly cause harm to large categories of our people, especially those with limited income."

For sheep breeders, this "sudden announcement" is detrimental to them. A leader of the Moroccan Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders, and president of the Association for the Protection and Distribution of Consumers in Rabat, explained that they "did not oppose and had no reservations about the cancellation of the Eid ritual if its cancellation was imperative and necessary, provided that it had a positive impact on the local economy and other aspects."

In an interview with the newspaper Achkayen, he deplored the fact that "several people affected by this decision were not informed in advance, while the breeders have already placed their sheep in the sheepfolds and prepared their herds for Eid. Some have accumulated debts of up to 500,000 dirhams, while the least indebted must at least 200,000 dirhams. In addition, several professions related to this practice, such as hay, charcoal and other sellers, will experience an economic slowdown due to this decision."

Another local leader calls on the government to take urgent measures to support the breeders, stating that "several breeders risk being incarcerated due to the debts and commitments they have contracted, as each breeder supplies himself with livestock feed and other supplies on the basis of guarantees and financial commitments. Following this announcement of the cancellation of Eid, these contracts will be presented to the competent authorities."

During a press conference held on Thursday, February 13, the Minister of Agriculture, Ahmed Bouari, reported a "serious shortage of the national herd, currently 38% lower than in 2016, when the national agricultural census was carried out." "This significant decrease in the number of livestock has had a direct impact on meat production and its prices, noting that Morocco usually slaughtered about 230,000 heads under normal circumstances, while today the country only slaughters 130,000 to 140,000, including imports."