HIBAPRESS – Rabat
Ahmad Albouari, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, revealed that the direct support system for livestock breeders will be adopted according to a new, more flexible and effective formula, aimed at improving the targeting of livestock farmers and enhancing the sustainability of the national herd.
The minister explained, in response to journalists' questions during the conference that followed the work of the government council, that the direct support consists of two main types: direct support for the purchase of feed, and a special grant for the conservation of female sheep and goats intended for breeding. Regarding the support for feed acquisition, Albouari clarified that it will be disbursed on a declining basis according to the number of registered animals, ranging between 150 and 75 dirhams per head of sheep, and 100 to 50 dirhams per head of goats, while cattle and camel breeders will benefit from support ranging between 400 and 500 dirhams per head. The minister pointed out that this new system will replace the previous method of supporting feed, with the aim of giving livestock farmers the freedom to purchase the feed that suits the needs of their herd, which enhances transparency and efficiency in directing public support. As for the special grant for the conservation of female sheep and goats, it was set at 400 dirhams for each female sheep and 300 dirhams for each female goat that was counted and intended for breeding. The minister confirmed that the aim of this grant is to encourage the preservation of females, as they are the basis for renewing the national herd, and to contribute to its restructuring and improving its productivity after the difficult periods that the sector has gone through due to climate fluctuations and the high cost of feed.
