OULAD SLAMA, Morocco — As Larbi El Ghazouani empties alfalfa and straw into the troughs each day, his sheep hurry over to feed. At 55 years old, the farmer had planned to sell most of his 130 sheep to Moroccan families preparing for Eid Al-Adha in early June. However, his plans are now in jeopardy, and he anticipates losing around half of his anticipated earnings.
This shift in his expectations follows the surprising announcement by King Mohammed VI, who, breaking from tradition, urged Moroccans to abstain from purchasing sheep for this year’s sacrifice during the holiday. This appeal comes amid soaring inflation and a changing climate. A prolonged seven-year drought has ravaged Morocco’s livestock, sending sheep prices sky-high beyond the reach of many working-class families.
“Performing the sacrifice under these tough circumstances will inflict significant hardship on large segments of our population, particularly those with limited means,” the king, who also serves as Morocco’s highest religious figure, expressed in a letter broadcast on Al Aoula, the state television network. The drought has led some of El Ghazouani’s neighbors to abandon livestock breeding altogether. While he understands the king’s reasoning, he still plans to raise more ewes in hopes of selling them before the next holiday. For breeders like him, however, the suspension of Eid festivities is a hard hit.
El Ghazouani spends about 1,500 Moroccan dirhams ($150) annually to sustain a sheep on a diet of straw, alfalfa, and fava beans, a cost that has surged by 50% over the past three years. Now, like many breeders, he is bracing for another year, feeding the livestock without immediate sales prospects. He remarked, “There’s a stark contrast between the times before this drought and the struggle we endure today,” as he cares for the sheep near Kenitra. “I’ve spent money on fodder and dedicated effort to raising these sheep.”
Eid al-Adha, scheduled for early June this year, is an esteemed “feast of sacrifice” where Muslims slaughter livestock in remembrance of the Quran’s account of the Prophet Ibrahim, who was ready to sacrifice his son at God’s command, only for God to replace the child with a sheep. The holiday holds considerable significance across many regions, from Senegal to Indonesia, with some families even going so far as taking loans to afford sheep.
Prices have skyrocketed to the point where a survey by the Moroccan NGO, Moroccan Center for Citizenship, noted that 55% of families found it difficult to afford sheep and related supplies. Over 7% of respondents resorted to loans or borrowing from friends to procure the ceremonial animals. These price hikes are, in part, due to increasingly scarce pastures, which limit grazing options and elevate feed costs. According to Morocco’s agricultural minister, rainfall is currently 53% lower than the average of the past three decades, reducing sheep and cattle numbers by 38% since the last census in 2016.
The cost of favored local sheep frequently surpasses the monthly household income in Morocco, where the minimum wage sits at 3,000 Moroccan dirhams ($302). The country has been importing and subsidizing livestock from nations like Romania, Spain, and Australia, planning to bring in 100,000 sheep this year. In an effort to stabilize prices, Morocco lifted import duties and VAT on livestock and red meat.
This marks the first request in 29 years for Moroccans to skip the holiday feast, underlining the ongoing struggle with food prices, despite Morocco’s evolution from a primarily agrarian nation to a diversified economy with advanced urban infrastructures in the Middle East and Africa. Throughout his reign, King Hassan II issued similar directives three times during periods of military conflict, drought, and an IMF-mandated cessation of food subsidies.
