This operation falls within the framework of the general census of the national livestock herd for the year 2024, which was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, and the National Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders, under the slogan "Our Livestock, Our Country's Wealth", with the aim of providing updated data on the national sheep and goat herd, its composition, and its geographical distribution.
About one hundred field researchers have been mobilised in the Drâa-Tafilalet region to collect data on the number of heads of livestock by breed, type, sex, and age groups.
In the Khank commune (Errachidia province), researchers, equipped with the necessary logistical and technical resources, are conducting field visits to livestock breeders before recording the data in forms designated for this purpose.
The Head of the Agricultural Statistics Department at the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Drâa-Tafilalet, Mouha Oujgou, said in a statement to the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) that the process of counting sheep and goat herds concerns more than 78,700 livestock breeders distributed across the five provinces of the Drâa-Tafilalet region.
He explained that 21 field researchers have been mobilised to collect data from 19,600 livestock breeders in the Errachidia province, noting that the census process is taking place in good conditions in coordination with local authorities.
For his part, field researcher Ismail El Timouri, who is also a researcher at the National Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders, highlighted that the census process is continuing smoothly in cooperation with breeders, local authorities, and the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture.
He added that researchers are moving from door to door to collect the necessary information and are conducting visits to nomads in mountainous areas who always rely on migration to provide grass and fodder for their herds.
The process of counting the national livestock herd falls within the context of monitoring the dynamics of the red meat chain within the framework of the national herd protection and restocking programme, which is adopted by the ministry in charge of the sector.
This operation will also enable the development of a comprehensive and integrated development policy to promote the small ruminant sector and enhance its resilience in light of climate change and global constraints in order to preserve the country's food sovereignty.
