The King of Morocco Mohammed VI urges the nation to avoid killing sheep during Eid al-Adha

King Mohammed VI has asked Moroccans to refrain from performing the Muslim rite of killing sheep during Eid al-Adha this year due to a strong fall in the country’s flock.

The shortage is attributed to seven years of drought.

Eid al-Adha, who falls in June, commemorates the will of the prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son by order of God.

Muslims mark the event killing sheep or other animals and the meat is shared between the family and donates to the poor.

But flocks in Morocco have been reduced by 38% in a decade due to dry pastures, according to official data.

Meat prices are triggered, and 100,000 Australian sheep are imported.

Performing the rite “in these difficult circumstances will cause significant damage to great segments of our people, especially those with limited income,” said King Mohammed VI in a speech read by the Minister of Religious Affairs on National Television on Wednesday.

His father, Hassan II, made the same appeal in 1966 when Morocco also suffered a long drought.

Explaining the challenge in a recent interview, the Minister of Agriculture of Morocco, Ahmed Bouari, said that “the need to ensure water for priority sectors, such as driving and industry” meant that agriculture was the worst blow “, with most irrigation areas subject to strict regulations and water ration.”

The import tax and VAT on cattle, sheep, camels and red meat were recently built to help stabilize prices in Morocco.