King Mohammed VI calls on Moroccans to forgo Eid sacrifice this year

Moroccan King Mohammed VI called on his citizens not to slaughter Eid sacrifices this year due to the significant decline in livestock numbers as a result of the severe drought that the kingdom has been experiencing for the seventh consecutive year.

The King said in a message read by Minister of Religious Affairs Ahmed Toufiq on state television on Wednesday evening, "We call on our dear people not to perform the Eid al-Adha ritual this year." Eid al-Adha falls this year in the first week of June.

He added that the reason for this is "the climatic and economic challenges facing our country, which have led to a significant decline in livestock numbers."

The King also said that "taking into consideration that Eid al-Adha is a confirmed Sunnah when possible, performing it in these difficult circumstances will cause real harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income."

A drought that has hit Morocco for the seventh consecutive year has caused a 38% decline in livestock numbers, with a 53% rainfall deficit compared to the average of the last 30 years, according to what Agriculture Minister Ahmed Bouari reported in mid-February.

This is the worst drought the Kingdom has experienced since the early 1980s.

The lack of rainfall has caused a deficit in livestock pastures and a decline in meat production, leading to higher prices in the local market and increased imports of live cattle, sheep and red meat.

The country recently signed a deal to import up to 100,000 sheep from Australia, and in the 2025 budget, Morocco suspended import duties and value-added tax on cattle, sheep, camels and red meat to keep prices stable in the local market.

The late King Hassan II of Morocco had previously recommended not to slaughter sacrificial animals in 1963, 1981 and 1996 for similar reasons.

Source: Agencies