Morocco and Australia’s sheep deal undetermined
A much spoken about sheep shipment from Australia to Morocco has not yet been fulfilled, reports Yabiladi via agencies on January 23rd.
In the early months of 2025, Rabat, Morocco’s capital city, showed great interest in Australia’s sheep being exported to Morocco, seeking hundreds of thousands of their livestock each year. This request was made when the access of the market was open in those months. Apparently, no such deal has materialised, and Morocco have not yet received any sheep.
The request for Australia’s sheep was solidified in February 2025, with many members of Morocco’s delegation attending discussions held by the Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC) in Australia, to look at the possibility of sheep importation. At this time, Morocco’s delegation were enthusiastic about the prospect of this agreement and wanted hundreds of thousands of sheep, with the option to further this at a future date.
Australia received Morocco’s appeal in 2025 positively, ALEC looking at Morocco’s livestock population and how they would be able to offer sheep free from disease as well as enough for Morocco’s request. But chief executive of ALEC, Mark Harvey-Sutton, has reported that due to transportation it would be difficult to do so, describing this deal as never being finalised between the two countries.
However, Harvey-Sutton left the idea open for future ventures, stating that Morocco and Australia could come to an agreement. Morocco import livestock from different countries as well, Harvey-Sutton stated, adding that they receive animals from Spain and South America among others. Moreover, despite the initial request, Morocco have not shown consistent interest in the Australian livestock deal.
Due to the shortages of sheep in 2025, Eid Al-Adha was cancelled as they sought to lessen the effects of the seven-year long drought on the livestock industry. Yet, as the weather conditions have improved this year, the drought has cleared and they are experiencing much better levels of rainfall.
Yabiladi via agencies/ Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
