Relief and strain: Farmers rebuild herds as costs climb in Morocco

When Hammad Idriss, a livestock breeder from Timahdit, saw his flock of female sheep grow from about 600 to 1,200 in just one year, he said the numbers reflected the tangible impact of Morocco’s ban on slaughtering breeding animals.

“The ban on slaughtering female sheep really helped and made a clear difference,” said Idriss, who raises the Timahdit breed, a local variety named after the region. “We no longer need to import,” he added.

Morocco introduced the ban in March 2025 after several consecutive years of drought reduced herd productivity and overall livestock numbers.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture later eased the measure in September 2025, limiting the restriction to animals visibly pregnant.

For Idriss, the policy helped rebuild his herd and increased the availability of male sheep ahead of this year’s Eid al-Adha, following a call last year by King Mohammed VI to forgo the ritual slaughter due to drought and economic pressures.

The measure was paired with a government support program worth about 6 billion dirhams ($600 million). Under the scheme, breeders receive 400 dirhams ($40) per ewe and 300 dirhams ($30) per female goat, along with assistance for feed costs. Payments have already been distributed to more than 400,000 farmers.

Despite the support, many breeders say rising feed prices continue to strain their finances.

Idriss said the price of a bale of straw has climbed from about 20 dirhams ($2) to 50 dirhams ($5), while barley prices have doubled from around 3 dirhams ($0.30). Other feed products have reached about 100 dirhams ($10), he added.

“Even with the support, costs increased, and we didn’t really benefit much in the end,” he said.

In Ouarzazate, breeder Hmed Akharraz said feed prices remain high, ranging between 225 and 300 dirhams ($22–$30). However, improved rainfall this year has helped reduce reliance on purchased feed.

“Rain helped a lot this year. It reduced our need to buy feed for a while,” he said.

Akharraz added that the ban also contributed to herd growth. “I used to have around 60 female sheep and goats, and now I have about 120,” he said.

Officials say the combination of financial support, improved pasture conditions and better feed availability has encouraged farmers to retain breeding animals.

Ahmed Sebbar, a goat breeder from Chichaoua, reported a similar trend, with his herd growing from about 50 goats to between 110 and 120.

“It really helped,” Sebbar said, adding that supply for Eid al-Adha is expected to be sufficient, with prices typically ranging between 3,000 and 5,000 dirhams ($300–$500).

Morocco has also launched a broader livestock recovery program for 2025–2026 with a total budget of 12.8 billion dirhams ($1.3 billion). About 5.4 billion dirhams ($540 million) have already been allocated in the first phase, benefiting roughly 1.1 million farmers, according to official data.

Authorities say monitoring efforts are nearly 60% complete, with most farmers complying with requirements to retain breeding animals.