King Mohammed VI Urges Rethinking Traditional Livestock Practices Amid Severe Drought and Livestock Shortage

On Wednesday, King Mohammed VI of Morocco urged citizens to reconsider the traditional practice of slaughtering sheep this year due to a significant reduction in the country’s livestock, caused by years of drought.
This practice, commonly observed in Morocco, involves the slaughtering of sheep or goats, with the meat shared among family members and donated to those in need.
Official statistics reveal that Morocco’s sheep and cattle populations have decreased by 38% since the last census nine years ago, largely due to the ongoing drought conditions.
In a letter read by Religious Affairs Minister Ahmed Taoufiq on state television Al Oula, the King emphasized, “Our commitment to allowing you to observe this important tradition is coupled with the responsibility to address the climatic and economic challenges our country is facing, which have led to a significant decrease in livestock numbers.” He continued, stating that carrying out the practice “under these challenging circumstances will cause considerable harm to many of our people, especially those with limited financial means.”
This year, rainfall was 53% below the average of the past three decades, resulting in a shortage of grazing land for livestock. Consequently, meat production has fallen, leading to higher prices and increased imports of live cattle, sheep, and red meat. Morocco has recently arranged to import up to 100,000 sheep from Australia.
To stabilize prices in the domestic market, the Moroccan government has suspended import duties and value-added tax on cattle, sheep, camels, and red meat in its 2025 budget.