Morocco Urges Citizens to Skip Eid al-Adha Sacrifice Amid Drought
King Mohammed VI of Morocco has called on citizens to refrain from slaughtering sheep for Eid al-Adha this year due to a significant decline in livestock caused by ongoing droughts.The festival, set for June, traditionally involves the ritual sacrifice of sheep or goats, with the meat shared among families and donated to the less fortunate. However, Morocco’s sheep and cattle population has dropped by 38% since the last census nine years ago, leading to increased meat prices and reliance on imports.Rainfall in the country was 53% lower than the 30-year average, worsening pasture shortages. To stabilize the market, the government has suspended import duties and value-added tax on livestock and red meat while securing a deal to import up to 100,000 sheep from Australia.The King, also Morocco’s supreme religious leader, emphasized that performing the ritual under these conditions would negatively […]
