After King Mohammed VI of Morocco decided to forgo the traditional sheep sacrifice ritual for Eid al-Adha 2025, Spanish livestock breeders and producers are exploring ways to shift their exports to the Algerian market.
In late February, King Mohammed VI urged Moroccans, through a message broadcast on public television, to refrain from sacrificing sheep during the Eid celebration in early June due to a livestock shortage caused by drought.
In Algeria, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered in March, during a Council of Ministers meeting, the launch of an international consultation to import up to one million head of livestock ahead of Eid al-Adha.
Spanish Producers Call on Government to “Facilitate Exports to Algeria”
The Algerian president instructed authorities to draft specifications for an urgent international tender targeting countries with supply capacity, aiming to import up to one million sheep for Eid al-Adha.
Morocco’s decision to abandon the sacrifice ritual has raised concerns in Spain, a key supplier of sheep to the kingdom. Spanish breeders and exporters fear the impact on their exports, as Morocco typically imported 10,000 to 15,000 sheep weekly for consumption during Ramadan and fattening for Eid al-Adha.
Faced with this situation, Spanish producers are seeking alternatives to offload their stock, with Algeria emerging as a viable option due to its plan to import up to one million sheep. According to the Spanish newspaper La Razón on April 1, breeder organizations have proposed this shift to the government.
For instance, Asaja Extremadura, a professional agricultural organization representing over 5,000 farmers and breeders, has urged Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture to “facilitate the export of Spanish sheep to Algeria.”
“Speed Up Procedures for the ASE Certificate”
The request also aims to “improve and expand trade agreements with Algeria and open new opportunities for producers,” the organization stated. It emphasized “the urgent need to diversify export destinations, especially given challenges in traditional markets like Morocco.” Asaja Extremadura called for “accelerating the procedures to obtain the ASE certificate, a basic requirement for marketing Spanish sheep in Algeria.”
Eid al-Adha 2025: Algeria to Import Sheep from Spain
Raúl Móthier, president of Interovic, the professional association for sheep and goat meat, told La Razón that Morocco’s decision caused “a complete halt in shipments to that destination, at a time when the kingdom was receiving 10,000 to 15,000 sheep per week.”
Spain is among the countries Algeria has selected to supply sheep for Eid al-Adha 2025. On March 22, in an interview with Algerian media, President Tebboune expressed satisfaction with the normalization of Algeria-Spain relations, particularly in trade, “after a period of strain.” He confirmed that Algeria “will import part of its sheep needs from Spain ahead of Eid al-Adha 2025.”
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