In Tunisia, celebrating Eid al-Adha is a luxury only a few can comfortably afford

With Eid al-Adha just days away, soaring meat prices in Tunisia have pushed the cost of a sacrificial sheep far beyond the reach of many families, sparking calls for state intervention and suggestions to go so far as to suspend the ritual altogether.

At the livestock market of Ouardia, in Tunis, sheep now sell for between 920 and 1,800 dinars   (approximately $295 to $575), representing up to seven times the monthly income of Tunisia's poorest households. 

For those on government support, receiving 260 dinars per month ($83), the idea of affording an animal for slaughter has become impossible.

"I promised my children we'd get one", said Nadir Hammami, a taxi driver and father of three in Tunis. "But unless a miracle happens, there will be no Eid for us this year."

His income has taken an additional hit due to an ongoing taxi drivers' strike amid deadlocked talks with the Ministry of Transport over increasings in the meter pricing.

Even families earning Tunisia's minimum wage 493 dinars ($157) find the cost unmanageable. For middle-income earners, a sheep can still swallow nearly 200 percent of their monthly salary.

Tunisia's Ministry of Social Affairs says some 900,000 families now depend on social aid, showing how deeply inflation and economic stagnation have strained household budgets.

Civil society group Men Haqqi Nsaalek (It's my right to question)  criticised the state for its "absence," and accused it of failing to regulate prices or provide meaningful alternatives.

"Eid is now a luxury. (...) And the burden is left to the citizen," said the group in a press release.

In response, the Ministry of Commerce has announced a capped pricing scheme: lamb should be sold to consumers at no more than 38.9 dinars per kilogram  (around $12.40), while beef cuts range between 28.3 and 37.9 dinars  ($9 to $12).

Wholesale prices to butchers are set at 35.9 dinars for lamb and 28.3 dinars for beef.

The government urged consumers to buy only from authorised vendors and called on farmers and retailers to maintain "reasonable" prices that "balance the interests of producers and consumers."

However, on the ground, enforcement is patchy. In several butcheries in central Tunis, lamb is still selling for 50 dinars per kilo (roughly $16), as many families have chosen to opt for a few pieces of meat rather than purchasing a whole animal.

The crisis is compounded by the Maghreb region's seventh consecutive year of drought, which has devastated agriculture and driven up feed costs.

Across the region, many farmers have scaled back or abandoned livestock breeding entirely, fuelling a dwindling supply and higher prices.

"We're not trying to rob anyone", said El-Hajj Ahmed, who has been working as a sheep seller for 50 years, standing beside a pen of restless animals.

"Feed is expensive, transport is expensive, and there's no support. We sell high because we have no choice, not because we want to."

While some have called for Tunisia to follow Morocco's lead—which encouraged citizens to forgo the Eid sacrifice—the country's religious leadership has rejected the notion.

In response to a query from the National Chamber of Butchers, the Grand Mufti, Sheikh Hichem Ben Mahmoud, issued a fatwa in March stating that while not mandatory, the sacrifice remains a "sacred rite" that should not be suspended.

Algeria, facing similar conditions, has chosen a different path: importing one million sheep to ease shortages. Tunisia, by contrast, has not managed to import livestock since 2012, leaving local markets to absorb the full shock, according to a report by local group, Men Haqqi Nsaalek.

As the holiday nears, markets remain crowded into the night. However, this year, many visitors are not buyers. They browse quietly, running fingers over woolly backs, asking prices they already know they cannot afford and leave with empty hands, and heavier hearts.