A new direct support program for livestock breeders with a budget of 12.8 billion dirhams targets farmers and smallholders.
Ahmad Al-Bawari, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, revealed the details of a direct support program for livestock breeders that will replace the previous mechanism for supporting animal feed purchases. He stressed that the aim is to ensure fairness in distributing support and achieve a tangible impact on the conditions of farmers and smallholders.
During a press conference following the governmental council meeting on Thursday, Al-Bawari explained that the budget allocated for this program amounts to approximately 12.8 billion dirhams, marking the largest of its kind, dedicated entirely to direct support for breeders through financial transfers specifically targeting farmers and smallholders.
The minister noted that the disbursement of support will begin upon royal instructions, coinciding with a livestock registration process, as part of a national herd restructuring program. He explained that the national census of livestock, conducted between June 26 and August 11, 2025, covered all regions of the Kingdom and formed the basis for identifying beneficiaries.
The program includes two types of support: the first is directed towards purchasing animal feed, while the second is a special grant for maintaining female sheep and goats. According to the minister, the first type of support will be disbursed based on the number of registered animals, where sheep breeders will receive support ranging from 150 to 75 dirhams per head, goat breeders between 100 to 50 dirhams, and cattle and camel breeders between 400 to 150 dirhams per head.
He added that this new formula grants breeders the freedom to choose the type of feed that meets their herd’s needs, instead of relying on the old feed support system.
Regarding the grant for maintaining female sheep and goats, Al-Bawari clarified that it targets females registered during the period from June 26 to August 22, 2025, amounting to 400 dirhams per female sheep and 300 dirhams per female goat, with the goal of preserving females and supporting reproduction to rebuild the national herd.
Support will be disbursed in two installments, the first starting from November 2025, which includes all support allocated for animal feed, plus an advance of 100 dirhams for each female. The second payment will be made on April 1, 2026, totaling 300 dirhams for female sheep and 200 dirhams for female goats, after verification that the registered females have been maintained.
The minister confirmed that all breeders included in the census and registration will benefit from the support, with a focus on smallholders who represent more than 60 percent of total beneficiaries, adding that amounts will be transferred directly to their bank accounts.
He noted that the Ministry of Agriculture, in coordination with the Ministries of Economy and Finance and Interior, and in partnership with the National Retirement and Insurance Fund under the Deposit and Management Fund, has established a transparent and secure mechanism for managing and distributing financial support, relying on an accurate national database to ensure equitable benefit and fair distribution of support.
To ensure effective monitoring of the process, Al-Bawari announced the establishment of a dedicated call center to receive inquiries from breeders and enable direct communication with relevant services, in addition to mobilizing the ministry’s external services to collect complaints daily and present them to local committees, supervised by governors and local officials, for processing and decision-making.
