Morocco’s Livestock Recovery Faces Persistent Drought and Rising Feed Costs

Morocco’s efforts to rebuild its national livestock population are progressing, but experts warn that restoring animal numbers alone may not be enough to resolve the structural weaknesses affecting the country’s farming sector. Years of drought, rising production costs and pressure on grazing resources continue to challenge breeders, raising questions about how quickly the industry can return to a sustainable footing.

The issue extends beyond the availability of sheep and cattle. Rebuilding herds requires farmers to preserve breeding females, secure affordable feed and maintain viable farming operations while adapting to increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions.

The challenge is therefore twofold: restoring livestock numbers and ensuring that breeders have the resources to keep their animals and expand production over the long term.

Livestock Recovery Requires More Than Rebuilding Herd Numbers

Morocco’s livestock census conducted in the summer of 2025 counted approximately 32.8 million animals, including 23.1 million sheep, 7.47 million goats, 2.09 million cattle and around 106,000 camels. Despite the overall size of the national herd, cattle and camel populations remained significantly below historical averages, reflecting the impact of drought and other pressures on agricultural production.

The distinction between total livestock numbers and the availability of animals for the market is particularly important. Breeding females must be retained to produce future generations, meaning that a recovery in the overall population does not necessarily translate into an immediate increase in animals available for sale or slaughter.

The challenge is especially pronounced in sheep farming, where breeders face the combined burden of feed expenses, water shortages and the need to rebuild productive herds.

A New Partnership Seeks to Modernise Sheep and Goat Farming

Efforts to address these difficulties are increasingly focusing on productivity and technical innovation. In October 2026, Morocco’s National Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders (ANOC) entered into a cooperation agreement with French livestock specialists to strengthen the sheep and goat sectors.

The initiative, supported by a €260,000 grant under France’s FASEP programme, is designed to transfer technical expertise and improve farming practices. Its priorities include artificial insemination, genetic improvement, better feed autonomy and modernisation of livestock facilities.

The planned work also covers mobile artificial insemination services adapted to Moroccan farming conditions, digital tools for managing breeding operations, improvements in goat milk production and more efficient cheese processing.

The agreement is intended to support pilot projects that could eventually be expanded across the country. Its success will depend on whether the new methods can be adapted to the needs and financial realities of livestock breeders, particularly smaller farms.

Feed Costs and Climate Resilience Remain Major Obstacles

Access to affordable animal feed remains one of the sector’s central concerns. Repeated dry seasons have reduced the availability of natural grazing and increased farmers’ dependence on purchased feed, placing additional pressure on operating budgets.

The proposed cooperation therefore includes measures to improve feed autonomy and develop livestock buildings suited to Morocco’s climatic conditions. These priorities are intended to reduce vulnerability to extreme temperatures and fluctuating access to pasture.

For breeders, improving productivity must go hand in hand with lowering the costs of keeping animals. Without reliable access to feed, water and veterinary support, rebuilding a herd can become financially difficult, even when public assistance is available.

Public Support Must Translate Into Sustainable Production

The government has introduced support measures aimed at helping breeders restore livestock numbers and preserve reproductive females. In March 2026, authorities launched verification procedures to confirm that identified breeding females remained in farmers’ herds before the second instalment of direct assistance was paid.

Such measures are intended to encourage herd recovery rather than short-term increases in the number of animals available for sale. Their longer-term impact, however, will depend on implementation, access to technical support and the ability of farmers to maintain their animals through future periods of climatic stress.

A durable recovery will require coordination between public authorities, breeders’ organisations, veterinary services and technical partners. Better breeding practices and improved farm management can contribute to that objective, but they cannot fully offset persistent water shortages or unsustainable production costs on their own.

Food Security at the Centre of Morocco’s Livestock Strategy

The future of Morocco’s livestock sector has implications for both rural livelihoods and national food security. Stronger domestic production could help improve the resilience of meat and dairy supply chains, while reducing the sector’s exposure to climatic and economic shocks.

The priority is no longer simply to increase livestock numbers. It is to develop a more productive and resilient farming system in which breeders can maintain viable herds, control costs and adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Morocco’s recovery programme and international technical partnerships offer potential routes towards that goal. The decisive test will be whether these initiatives generate lasting improvements on farms and translate into a more stable supply of livestock products for consumers.