Livestock purchases drive Moroccan food imports to US$10.3B in 2025

MOROCCO – Morocco’s food imports rose to 4.6 billion dirhams (US$10.3 billion) in 2025, representing a 3.3% increase from the previous year, according to the Exchange Office’s December foreign trade report.

According to Morocco’s Exchange Office, the livestock industry contributes about 12% to the country’s overall GDP.

Yet years of drought have severely depleted herds, increasing reliance on imports to meet domestic demand. Live animal imports have become the fastest-growing food category, rising to 6.97 billion dirhams (US$762.7 million) in value, a 25% increase year-on-year.

At the same time, Morocco records one of the highest per capita red meat consumption rates in Africa, averaging 17 kilograms annually. With local production struggling to keep pace, the government has stepped in with measures to boost supply, including tax exemptions and subsidies for meat imports.

In May 2025, the Moroccan government unveiled a US$674.4 million recovery initiative to rebuild the nation’s sheep population, increase fresh meat supply, and restore stability to rural livelihoods, an urgent response to the drought-stricken livestock sector.

Complementing this effort, the Financial Act 2025 suspended import duties and VAT on livestock from January through September. By August, the cattle import quota had doubled to 300,000.

Official data underscores the severity of the challenge: since 2016, Morocco’s cattle and sheep population has fallen by 38%, triggering a sharp decline in domestic meat production.

Expanding import markets

To offset shortages, Morocco has actively diversified its supply sources. In February 2025, the country imported 100,000 sheep from Australia under a trade agreement designed to stabilize red meat availability.

Earlier that year, Paraguay entered Morocco’s livestock market with its first shipment in March, supplying breeding and dairy herds. Paraguay currently delivers around 4,500 tons of beef annually and aims to double that figure in the coming year.

Strengthening ties beyond the Americas, Morocco and Poland signed a memorandum of understanding on January 16, 2026, during the International Green Week in Berlin. The agreement covers technical collaboration, training, information exchange, and joint research on animal production and safety standards, with the goal of harmonizing veterinary procedures and facilitating smoother trade flows.

Beyond Africa 

Global efforts to expand livestock supply extend further.

Indonesia recently imported 1,383 cows as part of its US$3 billion national dairy initiative launched in 2025. The program aims to quadruple milk output and empower smallholder farmers by improving genetics, training, and modern dairy practices. To support this, the Indonesian government lifted its import quota on live cattle.

Meanwhile in Africa, Kenya has introduced the De-risking, Inclusion and Value Enhancement (DRIVE) Project to help pastoral and agro-pastoral farmers access finance and markets. Livestock contributes about 12% to Kenya’s GDP and 40–42% of agricultural GDP, making exports and market expansion vital to sustaining the sector.

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