The origins of the crisis go back a long way, following a succession of events. It began at the time of Covid-19, when breeders were forced to sell their animals at half or even a quarter of their normal price. I was forced to do so myself« , explains Abderrahmane Majdoubi, President of the National Sheep and Goat Association (ANOC Association nationale des ovins et caprins).
At the time, with the closure of various gathering places, notably souks and weekly markets, only wholesale butchers were allowed to circulate. They took advantage of the situation to buy animals from breeders at knock-down prices. « The price of lamb was trading at 45 dirhams per kg, much less than its cost price. It was unheard of! But I knew very well that sooner or later the axe would fall, and that the day would come when some small ruminant breeders would consider giving up breeding altogether », recalls Abderrahmane Majdoubi. As it turned out, he was right: since 2023 alone, livestock numbers have fallen by 4%, helping to drive up prices.
Soaring costs and extinction of grazing lands
But it is above all the rise in commodity prices on international markets, amplified by the consequences of the war in Ukraine, that is to blame: it has caused feed prices to soar. « Never before have we seen such a rapid and vertiginous rise. The price of compound feed, which used to be around 1.40 or 1.50 dirham per kg, now costs 6 dirham per kg », reveals our source.
One misfortune never arrives alone, and the drought that has persisted for the past 6 years has made the situation even worse. « Under normal circumstances, breeders feed their animals for a maximum of 3 to 4 months a year. This period can extend to six months in difficult years, depending on the local climate and available grazing conditions. Today, with the catastrophic effects of the drought, grazing land has all but disappeared, and farmers are forced to feed their herds for 12 months of the year. In figures, this represents an annual expense of 3,500 dirhams per head« , explains the president of ANOC.
« Market prices, even if they are abnormally high, do not benefit the breeder »
Rising feed prices and the lack of grazing land are having disastrous economic consequences for livestock farmers.The cost per head has increased sixfold. As a result, market prices, even if they are abnormally high, do not benefit breeders« , reveals Majdoubi.
In terms of livestock numbers, even though they have been declining in recent years, Morocco still has 23 million head of sheep, 8 million of which are destined for consumption each year. « Compared with our neighbors, France has 4.5 million and Romania 9.5 million. Every year, at Eid time, we sacrifice around 6 million head, far more than the size of the total sheep herd in France« , adds our source.
Government support for breeders
Given the current situation, government support has proved crucial to the preservation of the national herd. « We have to recognize one thing. Without public support, we would never have been able to maintain this herd, » admits Majdoubi. He continues: « Communication with decision-makers and politicians is fluid. We have fruitful discussions, and I know I can reach anyone at any time. Whenever there’s a problem, I get in touch with the decision-makers, and the case is dealt with. This also applies to animal health. Morocco makes a much greater effort than Spain or Romania, for example. Vaccines are administered on a regular basis, and identification enables effective monitoring. In 35 years of experience, I’ve never seen a case of foot-and-mouth disease, or any other serious illness, with my own eyes.«
The farmer remains hopeful of a return to normalcy. « If the rains come in September and October, we’ll be able to turn the page easily, as we’ll finally have rangeland that can provide the calories needed to feed livestock, which will lighten the economic burden on breeders. It should also be pointed out that the cycle of small ruminants is relatively short: from the rutting phase onwards, it takes five months to produce a lamb. This means that the population can be replenished fairly quickly. In fact, in the Middle Atlas, following the recent rainfall, farmers have decided to keep their ewes for breeding to replenish the missing stock« , he continues.
The preservation of the national herd is of great economic importance, particularly with regard to exports. « Before Covid-19, we had a surplus of 2 million head a year, which were destined for export to sub-Saharan African markets and the Gulf States. Our local breeds are very popular. We hope that this year will be rainy, and that we’ll be able to replenish our population of small ruminants », concludes Abderrahmane Majdoubi.
Written by Amine Belghazi, edited in English by S.E.
