Eid Al-Adha: Morocco Battles Meat Crisis as Livestock Heads Drop

With local livestock numbers still low after years of drought, Morocco is looking abroad to keep its meat market steady.

Morocco is facing a big drop in livestock numbers, with the national herd shrinking by 38% since 2016, Agriculture Minister Ahmed Bouari revealed at a press conference.

This decline has hit the meat supply hard. Morocco used to slaughter 230,000 cattle, but now that number is down to 150,000. To deal with the crisis, the government is stepping in with major import plans. Taxes on imported beef, sheep, goats, camels, and red meat have been scrapped to bring in supply to the market and ease out the prices.

Imports are already rising. Since the start of 2025, Morocco has brought in 21,800 cattle, 124,000 sheep, and 704 tons of red meat. Bouari said the government is also rolling out a plan to help farmers, with up to 18 million quintals of fodder, and better animal health services.

Morocco has already started importing sheep from Australia to meet demand for Eid Al-Adha. A team of Moroccan officials, importers, and vets recently visited Western Australia to seal the deal following a trade agreement signed last January.

Australian Livestock Exporters Council boss Mark Harvey-Sutton confirmed that all the paperwork is done and the first shipments are ready to go.

Strict rules will be followed to make sure the animals arrive safely and are well-treated before slaughter. This is part of Morocco’s plan to secure the supply increase, especially for Eid Al-Adha, when demand for sheep is at its peak.