Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests Ahmed El Bouari revealed that the national livestock herd has seen a sharp decline over recent years, dropping 38% since 2016.
During a press briefing held after the weekly government council, El Bouari explained that seven consecutive years of drought have taken a toll on livestock production. With pastures nearly gone, “the herd is now heavily dependent on feed.”
“In normal years, we used to slaughter around 230,000 head of livestock annually, but now it’s down to 130,000 to 150,000,” he said.
The Minister added that import activity has increased this year compared to last year. From January until February 12th, Morocco imported 21,800 head of cattle, 24,000 sheep, and 704 tons of red meat, which helped create a relative balance in prices.
El Bouari announced a comprehensive plan to boost livestock production in Morocco.
The program focuses on providing animal feed, offering technical support to improve production, enhancing animal health services, and protecting female livestock to help rebuild the herd. A special initiative targeting rural youth is also in the works to support animal production initiatives.
The Minister also defended the effectiveness of Morocco’s agricultural sector, stating that agriculture uses 80% or 90% of the kingdom’s water resources. “Our agriculture is working with limited water, and we should be proud of it, along with the people in the agricultural sector and our engineers,” he said.
El Bouari pointed out that in other countries, they might have the water, but they don’t know how to produce. Unlike them,” he added, “we can produce even with limited resources.”
The Minister explained that “the agricultural sector uses the remaining water in the dams after the needs for drinking, industry, and tourism are met,” emphasizing, “we need to support and encourage our farmers and stand by them.”
He also emphasized that “rainfall this agricultural season has been much lower than the average of the last 30 years,” noting that despite a positive start in September 2024, the situation has worsened since after.
“We’re facing a 53% deficit compared to the average of the past 30 years. September started off well, but after October, the following two months saw less than 20 millimeters of rain, which has affected vegetation and autumn crops overall. Most areas have been hit, except for the Loukkos region, which makes up 25% of the areas still in good condition,” added El Bouari.
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