Morocco Faces Sheep Shortage and Price Surge Ahead of Eid Al Adha

To address this issue and ensure sufficient market supply, the government is considering importing a large number of sheep and goats. The supplier countries will be those respecting the same health safety standards as the Kingdom. The objective is to stabilize prices while protecting the national herd and promoting its reproduction.

The Minister of Agriculture, Mohamed Sadiki, stressed that the livestock sector, although it currently has more than 23 million sheep and goat heads, remains fragile due to the massive slaughter of animals caused by the drop in demand related to the Covid-19 crisis and the rise in production costs. Rebuilding and strengthening the herd will take time.

Faced with the risks of speculation and price explosion on the eve of Eid El Kébir, the ministry plans to set up a system for monitoring sheep prices. The minister believes that the problem is structural and requires a thorough reform of the marketing and distribution channels, affected by the presence of many intermediaries who promote price increases and penalize producers.

Thus, by combining imports of sheep and goats and a price monitoring system, the government hopes to prevent an excessive increase in sheep prices for Eid Al Adha and ensure a stable supply for consumers.