Spanish Sheep Exporters Turn to Algeria After Morocco’s Eid Sacrifice Ban

Algeria, the alternative for Spanish exporters? In late February, King Mohammed VI had, in a message, invited Moroccans not to celebrate Eid al-Adha this year, due to the effects of the drought on the national herd. A royal call widely acclaimed on social media and welcomed by many Moroccans. Moroccan breeders, on the other hand, have expressed concerns due to the harm they will suffer. In Spain, the observation is the same. Breeders and exporters are in difficulty, indicates La Razon. The Moroccan sovereign’s call undermines their business, as Morocco imports between 10,000 and 15,000 sheep heads from Spain each year, either for consumption during the month of Ramadan or for fattening in preparation for Eid al-Adha.

How to sell this quantity after the royal call? Spanish breeders and exporters have found an alternative: Algeria. The Asaja Extremadura organization, which represents more than 5,000 farmers and breeders, has already written to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, demanding the acceleration of procedures related to the export of sheep to Algeria. The organization stressed the need to facilitate the export of Spanish sheep to Algeria in order to offset losses on the Moroccan market and strengthen trade cooperation between the two countries in this area.

The Algerian alternative is not synonymous with the end of Spanish sheep exports to Morocco, however. The Spanish sector aspires to resume the export of live sheep to Morocco in the future, despite the recent royal directives that have led to the complete cessation of shipments to the kingdom, assures the president of the Interovic Association of sheep and goat meats.