Agropastoral conditions are improving in the southeast but are still mediocre in the rest of the country

Despite a normal start to season, cumulative seasonal rainfall totals according to the national office of meteorology indicate seasonal rainfall deficits in a large part of Brakna and in central and southern Trarza in the west of the agropastoral zone. The rest of the country is experiencing good agropastoral conditions due to rainfall totals near normal or above normal.

In most of the country, food markets are still well stocked with imported staple foods (rice, wheat, sugar, tea, etc.). The increase in their prices, since May, seems to be stabilizing but prices are still generally above 2017 prices and are above the five-year average. 

The improvement of pastoral conditions in the east of the country, particularly in the pastoral and livestock trading zone, has reduced the demand for livestock feed and has increased livestock prices that may continue to increase since there are no expected long pauses in rainfall that would affect pasturelands.

Incomes from agricultural labor, improvement in agropastoral conditions, good availability of food and the impact of assistance programs in progress, have placed most of the zones that were experiencing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) food insecurity in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) food insecurity. Only the areas affected by prolonged food and livelihoods protection deficits (moughataa of Magta Lahjar, Monguel, Moujeria) where agricultural exploitation will only begin in October, like the center of the Senegal River Valley, will remain in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) until February/March 2019.