The drying up of surface water and pastures is leading to early livestock movements

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During the month of January, rural households in rainfed and agro-pastoral areas still have sufficient food stocks from their own production to meet their food needs. Moreover, the availability of milk at this time of year significantly improves their nutritional status for those with access to livestock. Most of them are acutely food insecure (IPC Phase 1). However, in southeastern areas, affected by rainfall deficits that have reduced agricultural production and biomass, poor households' food stocks are beginning to run low, and their access to markets is hampered by high food prices. They are expected to be facing Stressed (IPC phase 2) outcomes. The same is true for poor households in the valley, who are more dependent on the walo and off-season cereal harvests, which take place in March and June. However, this deterioration in food insecurity is mitigated by income opportunities from market gardening and non-agricultural labor, as well as remittances from migrants.
The gradual drying-up of sources of surface water and grazing land that began at the end of the rainy season is continuing and intensifying, leading to early internal transhumance towards areas further south, as well as some movements of livestock from Trarza to Senegal. These areas along the border strip, particularly in Guidimakha and Brakna, are experiencing a high concentration of livestock arriving en masse from neighboring communes. In south-eastern Hodh El Chargui, the influx of Malian refugees, most of whom are herders who arrived with their livestock, has led to a high concentration of livestock in this area, exacerbating the pressure on pastoral resources. The numerous bush fires in the country's agro-sylvo-pastoral wilayas also contribute to reducing grazing areas. According to the country's authorities, bush fires ravage between 50,000 and 300,000 ha every year, corresponding to a loss of between 120 and 750 million Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU) per year. To remedy this situation, the government has launched a 4-month national campaign to protect natural pastures, which began at the end of October. Among other things, the campaign aims to maintain 6,200 km of old firebreaks and open 1,050 km of new ones.
Markets are well supplied with both imported and local produce, and supply has improved significantly compared with the previous quarter, thanks to the latest harvests. However, prices of local products are generally on the rise, while prices of imported products are relatively stable. Among local products, taghalit sorghum, maize, millet, and cowpea are 8-12 percent higher than in the last quarter of 2023, due to strong demand from pastoral households. Compared with last year, prices of both imported and local products remain 5-17 percent higher, and 14-55 percent higher than the five-year average.
The supply of livestock is also strong in livestock markets, and the animals on sale generally have good body conditions. Demand remains fairly typical for the period, but prices for small ruminants are up by an average of +8 percent on last quarter. Prices, in general, are relatively high compared to the five-year average, with increases of +21, +50 and +17 percent for mutton, bull, and camel, respectively.

Recommended citation: FEWS NET. Mauritania Key Message Update January 2024: The drying up of surface water and pastures is leading to early livestock movements, 2024.

This Key Message Update provides a high-level analysis of current acute food insecurity conditions and any changes to FEWS NET's latest projection of acute food insecurity outcomes in the specified geography. Learn more here.