Morocco’s livestock has decreased by 38% due to consecutive droughts, with significant job losses in agriculture and increased imports of red meat and cattle. Rainfall this year has been notably low, prompting government measures to stabilize meat prices and address the drought’s agricultural impacts.
The livestock population in Morocco has significantly diminished, with a reported decline of 38% since the last census nine years ago, primarily due to successive droughts, according to Agriculture Minister Ahmed El Bouari. The prolonged droughts over the past six years have severely depleted water sources, resulting in extensive job losses in the agricultural sector and hastening the country’s desalination plans.
This year, rainfall was recorded at 53% below the average for the past three decades, exacerbating the crisis as there is inadequate pasture for livestock. Consequently, meat production has fallen, leading to heightened imports of cattle and red meat to meet domestic demands. To stabilize meat prices, the government has waived import duties and value-added taxes on livestock.
Thus far in 2023, Morocco has imported 124,000 sheep, 21,000 cattle, and 704 tons of red meat, reflecting increasing reliance on foreign supplies. The irrigation dams in critical farming regions, including Doukala and Souss-Massa, are severely underfilled, with recorded levels at 2% and 15% capacity, respectively. The overall national dam filling rate is currently at 26%, with a focus on providing drinking water to urban areas over agricultural needs.
The acreage dedicated to soft wheat, durum, and barley cultivation has increased from 2.4 million hectares to 2.6 million hectares compared to the previous year. The wheat yield will be contingent upon rainfall through March, as last year’s drought resulted in a substantial reduction of 43% in grain output, totaling just 3.1 million tons.
In summary, Morocco’s livestock sector has suffered significantly due to persistent drought conditions, leading to notable decreases in the population of cattle and sheep, alongside an increased reliance on imports. The drastic reduction in available water resources has necessitated governmental interventions such as tax waivers on livestock imports to stabilize meat prices. Moving forward, agricultural success in the coming months will largely depend on favorable rainfall.
Original Source: clubofmozambique.com
