Impact of the Suspension on the Spanish Meat Industry
The Union of Small Farmers and Livestock Breeders in Spain (UPA) has expressed significant concern regarding the growing imbalances within the country’s beef market, a situation exacerbated by the suspension of live cattle exports to Morocco. This disruption has led to a notable imbalance between supply and demand, prompting the union to call for immediate diplomatic action from the Spanish government to reopen crucial export markets for Spanish producers.
According to the UPA, the beef sector plays a vital role in Spain's agricultural landscape, with approximately six million cattle distributed across 110,000 farms. This sector accounts for about 15% of the total livestock production value in the country and around 6% of the overall agricultural output. Recently, specialized meat-producing farms have begun to experience market tensions due to the halt in exports to Morocco, which was previously a primary destination for Spanish cattle.
Statistics and Diplomatic Efforts
Up until the end of 2025, Morocco was the leading market for Spanish live cattle exports. In 2024, Spain exported 61,715 cattle, each weighing over 300 kilograms, to Morocco, representing 52% of total live cattle exports from Spain. However, this figure dropped to 51,986 in 2025 and has now reached zero in 2026. This significant decline is attributed to Morocco's strict health safety measures following the outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in northeastern Spain at the end of 2025.
In light of this situation, the UPA has urged the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture to engage in high-level diplomatic efforts to reverse the current predicament, advocating for a “regional partition” principle that would allow unaffected areas in Spain to continue exporting live cattle. They highlighted that the disease has only been reported in specific regions such as Catalonia and Aragon. Furthermore, the union has raised concerns over Morocco's additional measures, including the suspension of fresh meat imports and a reduction in frozen meat imports, which further exacerbate tensions in the Spanish meat sector.
In conclusion, the UPA has called on Spain's Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, to take decisive action rather than adopt a passive stance amidst a situation that is severely harming the beef sector, emphasizing the urgent need for solutions to restore stability in the market.
As reported by hespress.com.
