Spanish
livestock farmers are frustrated due to the ongoing ban on Spanish live cattle imports in Morocco.
A report by the website Moncloa has cited a statement from the Union of Small Farmers (UPA), which reportedly complained about Morocco’s ban on Spanish live cattle since the end of 2025.
It added that the decision was triggered by the emergence of cases of lumpy skin disease that does not affect humans but impacts milk and meat production.
Morocco’s market closure to Spanish cattle affects farmers, as in 2024 exports reached 115 million live cattle.
Now UPA calls on the Spanish government to take “urgent diplomatic action” to unblock the market.
“Our country has around 6.5 million head of cattle, distributed across about 110,000 farms. This generates an annual economic value representing around 15% of the national livestock final production value and 6% of total agricultural final production value,” the union said.
Morocco was the main destination for live cattle exports, the union explained.
According to the website Trading Economics,trade between Morocco and Spain has continued to record high figures in recent months, with Madrid remaining Rabat’s largest global trading partner.
Bilateral commerce surpasses $16 billion annually, a figure that has long kept Spain aware of Morocco’s highly strategic importance as a trading partner.
Morocco is among the countries that rely on live cattle imports. The government has intensified imports in an attempt to stabilize domestic prices, notably by imposing volumes from Europe and a number of South American countries, including Brazil.
Yet meat prices have continued to weigh down on low-income and middle-class citizens as beef and sheep meat stood at over MAD 120 per kilogram.
Reports on a lack of cattle for Eid Al Adha and exhibited prices also sparked uproar, sparking scrutiny against Akhannouch’s government.
