Morocco's cattle and sheep populations have plummeted by 38% over the past nine years, according to Agriculture Minister Ahmed El Bouari. This drastic decline, announced on Thursday, is attributed to six consecutive years of drought, which have depleted reservoirs, led to significant agricultural job losses, and compelled the nation to hasten its seawater desalination initiatives. The minister highlighted a concerning 53% rainfall deficit this year compared to the average of the past three decades. This shortage has left pastures increasingly barren, resulting in a drop in meat production. Consequently, Morocco has ramped up its imports of livestock and red meat. To stabilize market prices, the 2025 finance law includes measures to suspend customs duties and VAT on cattle, sheep, camels, and red meats. Since January, Morocco has imported 124,000 sheep, 21,000 cattle, and 704 tons of red meat, as reported by El Bouari. In key agricultural regions such as Doukkala and Souss-Massa, irrigation dams are alarmingly low, with fill rates of just 2% and 15%, respectively. National water reserves have dwindled to 26% of their capacity, prompting authorities to prioritize the supply of potable water over agricultural irrigation. Despite these challenges, the areas devoted to cultivating soft wheat, durum wheat, and barley have expanded to 2.6 million hectares, a slight increase from last year's 2.4 million hectares. However, final production figures will hinge on rainfall patterns through the end of March, El Bouari noted. In 2024, the drought severely impacted cereal harvests, slashing output to 3.1 million tons—a 43% decrease from 2023.
