First-Year SUREPASTOR Farm Monitoring Reveals Key Insights into Sheep Farming Profitability and Vulnerability in Morocco’s Chaouia Plain

As part of the ongoing SUREPASTOR project efforts to enhance the sustainability and resilience of agro-pastoral systems across the Mediterranean, a recent scientific study has analyzed the demographic parameters and profitability of sheep farming in Morocco’s semi-arid Chaouia plain. The results, derived from the first year of farm monitoring within the project, highlight both the opportunities and significant challenges facing pastoral communities in this climate-vulnerable region.

The study, authored by Y. Dahmani, L. Julien, and M.T. Sraïri (DOI: 10.19182/remvt.37645), focused on two main sheep production systems: breeder-only (naisseurs) and breeder-finisher (naisseurs-engraisseurs). Using a 12-month retrospective survey approach on 52 farms, researchers assessed herd demographics, reproductive performance, feed self-sufficiency, and economic margins.

Results showed that breeders operating an average of 14 hectares achieved a forage self-sufficiency rate of 58%, outperforming breeder-finishers, who reached only 49% on significantly larger average land holdings (128 hectares). This higher autonomy translated into a better gross margin per sheep unit (€68 vs. €44), underscoring the economic benefits of reducing dependence on purchased feed. However, economic vulnerability remains high across systems: feed costs account for up to 87% of total expenses, leaving farms extremely sensitive to climate variability and market fluctuations.

Animal performance indicators—lambing rate (113%), prolificacy (138%), and low mortality (1%)—were satisfactory overall, despite feed limitations and widespread suboptimal management practices. Strategies to cope with economic pressures varied: breeders favored early lamb sales to cut costs, while breeder-finishers extended production cycles in hopes of capturing higher market prices. Nonetheless, both systems demonstrated vulnerability to droughts, input price spikes, and high labor costs, threatening their long-term sustainability.

SUREPASTOR’s Ongoing Efforts
This study, built on intensive monitoring during the first year of SUREPASTOR’s implementation, confirms the urgent need for strategies to boost forage autonomy, optimize grazing, and integrate smart technologies with traditional pastoral knowledge. By addressing these challenges, SUREPASTOR aims to strengthen the resilience and profitability of sheep farming systems, making them more sustainable and appealing to younger generations and women. Through research and innovation, the project continues to support the viability of Mediterranean agro-pastoral communities and safeguard the ecosystems they manage.

Read the full paper here