Famine Early Warning Systems Network

Progress of the growing season

In general, the growing season across the country is making average to good progress with the normal to above-normal rainfall activity. Larger than average areas have been planted in crops with the timely start of the growing season and the farm input assistance furnished by the government and its partners. Crop maintenance work is providing average food and income-earning opportunities for poor households.

Pastoral conditions are improving with the replenishment of watering holes and the growth of fresh pasture. In general, there are above-average (2001-2010) levels of plant biomass production, which is helping to promote the physical recovery of livestock and what are deemed to be generally average to good levels of milk production for human consumption. Animal health conditions are stable and the vaccination campaign against major animal diseases continues.

Flooding                

The heavy rains in July-August caused damage to productive assets, homes, storehouses for cereal crops, and livestock herds in the Ségou, Koulikoro, Timbuktu, and Gao regions. The resulting destruction of livelihoods is negatively affecting the ability of area households or an estimated 7355 persons to adequately meet their food needs during the current lean season.

Markets and prices

In general, there are still average market supplies of cereals in spite of the seasonal contraction in supplies. The persistent security problems are disrupting the flow of trade in the northern and central reaches of the country. Ongoing government-subsidized sales and harvests of off-season rice crops are improving food availability. Millet prices are close to or below the five-year average in crop-producing areas in the southern part of the country but are 19 percent above-average in Timbuktu and 11 percent above-average in Gao and Mopti. The 42 percent above-average prices in Rharous are limiting the food access of poor households in that area.

Livestock markets are doing a brisk business with the growing supplies of animals at this time of year for the approaching Feast of Tabaski. Prices are improving, fueled by the physical recovery of livestock and the growth in demand since last month. Prices for female goats are on par with the five-year average in Goundam in the Timbuktu region, above-average by 10 percent in Gao and 17 percent in Kidal, and 12 percent below-average in Rharous and 22 percent below-average in Bourem. Terms of trade for goats/millet have improved by approximately five to 10 percent since last month. They are close to the five-year average in Douentza, Kidal, and Goundam and more than 20 percent below-average in Timbuktu, Rharous, Ansongo, and Bourem, which is limiting food access for pastoral households on local markets.

Humanitarian operations 

There are continuing distributions of free food assistance to approximately 900,000 food-insecure recipients and distributions of farm inputs (seeds, fertilizer, and animal feed), farm equipment, and herd-building assistance (2500 head of livestock) to approximately 2,500,000 recipients as part of the National Response Plan for the period from June through September 2017 being implemented by the Food Security Commission (Commissariat à la Sécurité Alimentaire) in conjunction with the WFP, ICRC, and ECHO, mainly in the Timbuktu, Gao, Ménaka, Taoudenit, Kidal, and northern Mopti regions. These provisions and farm inputs are limiting the recourse of recipient households to negative coping strategies and helping to rebuild livelihoods severely damaged by successive crises.