RABAT, Morocco — Amidst a severe decline in sheep herds across Morocco, King Mohammed VI has made an unprecedented recommendation for families to refrain from purchasing sheep for the traditional Eid Al-Adha sacrifice. This is a significant shift from customs dictated by economic strains and climate effects impacting the populace. In a statement delivered by Ahmed Toufiq, Morocco’s Minister of Islamic Affairs, on the state-controlled television network Al Aoula, the monarch highlighted the nation’s need to face the realities of livestock shortages causing prices to balloon.
“Eid sacrifices under current conditions could inflict substantial distress on many of our citizens, especially those with constrained earnings,” the king emphasized, asserting his influence as the country’s paramount religious leader.
Eid al-Adha, anticipated in early June this year, celebrates the Quranic narrative of the Prophet Ibrahim’s obedience to God, symbolized through the ritual slaughter of animals. Traditionally celebrated from Senegal to Indonesia, this occasion often sees families incurring debts just to purchase a sheep.
The financial burden has become so oppressive that a Moroccan Center for Citizenship survey revealed 55% of families found it challenging to afford the sheep and accompanying tools required for the holiday. This issue is exacerbated by a protracted six-year drought in North Africa, perpetuating relentless inflation in food prices.
Increasing sheep prices are a symptom of scarce grazing lands, which limit feeding options and drive up costs for pastoralists and farmers. Morocco’s agricultural ministry reported that current rainfall is at a mere 47% of the average recorded over the past three decades, and agricultural census data from 2016 reflects a 38% reduction in sheep and cattle numbers.
In response, Morocco has taken to subsidizing and importing livestock from countries such as Australia, Spain, and Romania. Nevertheless, the preferred native sheep often exceed the monthly income for many households, with the national minimum wage stuck at 3,000 dirhams ($302).
This pronouncement marks the first instance in 29 years that the Moroccan leadership has requested citizens to avoid the traditional feast, signifying ongoing struggles with food costs, despite the nation’s evolution from a predominantly agricultural society to an economy boasting some of the most advanced infrastructure in the Middle East and Africa. Previous similar edicts by King Hassan II occurred during wartime, drought, and economic policy changes enforced by international institutions.
There have been public outcries from activist groups and trade unions about the escalating prices of fundamental food products. They have criticized the government’s strategies in attempting to manage these economic adversities as inadequate.
