Agriculture Minister Reports Impact of Repeated Droughts on Morocco’s Livestock

Morocco’s agricultural sector has faced severe challenges in recent years, marked by a sharp decline in livestock populations and diminished crop yields, largely due to the impact of consecutive droughts. According to Agriculture Minister Ahmed El Bouari, the country’s cattle and sheep herds have seen a dramatic drop of 38% since the last agricultural census nine years ago. This alarming decline is a direct consequence of six years of prolonged drought conditions, which have significantly affected both the environment and the economy.
El Bouari explained on Thursday that Morocco’s dams, which are crucial for irrigation and water supply, have been emptied by the ongoing dry conditions. The extended drought has also had far-reaching effects on the country’s agricultural workforce, with large-scale job losses in the farming sector. In response to the ongoing crisis, Morocco has been forced to accelerate its plans for desalination, aiming to secure a more stable water supply by tapping into seawater.
The situation in 2024 has been particularly dire, with rainfall levels this year 53% lower than the average rainfall seen over the last 30 years. As a result, pastures that would normally provide grazing for livestock have been virtually non-existent. This shortage of fodder for animals has led to a significant reduction in meat production, further exacerbating the country’s need to import more livestock and red meat. To address this shortage and mitigate rising prices, the Moroccan government announced several key measures in its 2025 budget. Among them, the government has decided to suspend import duties and value-added tax (VAT) on cattle, sheep, camels, and red meat. This move is aimed at stabilizing prices in the domestic market and ensuring that meat remains accessible to Moroccan consumers despite the tight supply.
The need for imported livestock has been striking. So far this year, Morocco has imported 124,000 sheep, 21,000 cattle, and 704 tons of red meat, according to El Bouari. These figures underline the growing reliance on international markets to meet domestic demand for animal products. The country’s struggle to maintain its agricultural output has also highlighted the limitations of the current water management infrastructure, especially in critical farming regions.
The agricultural heartlands of Doukala and Souss-Massa, which are essential for Morocco’s crop production, have been hit particularly hard. El Bouari noted that irrigation dams in these regions are shockingly low, with only 2% of the Doukala dam’s capacity and 15% of the Souss-Massa dam’s capacity remaining. On a national level, the overall dam filling rate has plummeted to just 26%. In light of the current crisis, water resources have been prioritized for supplying drinking water to urban areas, while agricultural needs have taken a backseat.
Despite the dire circumstances, Morocco has managed to increase the area planted with its key staple crops. The total planted area for soft wheat, durum wheat, and barley has risen to 2.6 million hectares this year, compared to 2.4 million hectares in 2024. However, El Bouari emphasized that the success of this year’s wheat harvest will largely depend on rainfall in the coming months. With the potential for more drought conditions to persist, the outlook for the harvest remains uncertain.
The country’s wheat production in 2024 suffered a sharp decline due to the severe drought, with output dropping by 43% to just 3.1 million tons, down from 5.4 million tons the previous year. This sharp reduction in wheat and barley yields has raised concerns about food security, especially given Morocco’s reliance on these crops to meet domestic consumption needs.
Looking forward, the government is focusing on water conservation strategies and improving irrigation efficiency. However, as El Bouari pointed out, the situation is dire, and much depends on the uncertain rainfall patterns over the next few months.