Morocco Starts New Livestock Aid Payments After Checking Female Sheep, Goats

Rabat – Morocco has started a new phase of financial aid for livestock farmers, following a nationwide verification process to ensure the preservation of female sheep and goats used for breeding. 

The Ministry of Agriculture announced that inspections will begin on March 24 across the country.

According to the ministry, the operation aims to confirm that farmers have kept the female livestock that were previously counted and tagged during a national campaign carried out between June 26 and August 11. 

Once this verification is complete, farmers who meet the requirements will receive the second installment of financial support as quickly as possible.

The ministry explained that this program follows royal instructions to restore Morocco’s livestock population, which has faced challenges in recent years. The verification process is taking place in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, with local committees deployed across all regions to oversee the operation.

Officials noted that livestock farmers will receive the payments using the same methods as the first round, including bank transfers and money orders. With the completion of this second payment, the livestock support program will officially come to an end.

The initiative has already reached a large number of farmers. Around 1.1 million livestock breeders received the first installment of support. The government allocated a budget of MAD 5.5 billion for that phase.

Earlier this year, on January 7, the ministry confirmed that about 32.3 million animals had been identified and tagged as part of a national livestock census. This effort created a reliable database used to determine who qualifies for financial support.

The ministry also said it continues to review complaints from farmers who were counted but did not benefit from the tagging process, promising to address these cases according to established procedures.