Famine Early Warning Systems Network

Key Messages

• Cereal crops are currently maturing in most agricultural production zones as favorable rainfall conditions continue. Replenishing dams and water reservoirs during this period support off-season crops and seasonal employment opportunities. According to the latest assumptions from the Ministry of Agriculture, cereal production will be favorable, with a probability of an increase of 44 percent more than the five-year average. However, heavy rains in the last ten days of August and early September caused flooding in several localities, particularly in Nouakchott and Kaédi, causing significant material damage.

• At the pastoral level, the situation is generally satisfactory in almost all regions of the country. In the pastoral and agro-pastoral strip areas, the availability and good distribution of pastoral resources promote a good level of livestock body condition. With the improvement of pastoral conditions, animal prices are generally up in most markets compared to the average, especially for sheep. However, despite recent improvements, the sheep/wheat terms of trade remain unfavorable to pastoralists due to substantially high food prices.

• The supply of cereals and other food products is still dependent on imports from the international market and some cross-border flows from Mali and Senegal. As a result, prices are still atypically high. In fact, in Nouakchott, the prices of dry cereals, particularly wheat and pearl millet, increased by 68 percent and 52 percent, respectively, compared to the five-year average. The increase in the price of these products on the markets is reinforced by the rise in the price of fuel observed last July, as well as the degraded state of the road infrastructures.

• Households across the country are currently spending more on food, forgoing their basic non-food needs. Overall, the country's food insecurity outcomes remain Stressed (IPC Phase 2). These populations are located in municipalities north and west of the city of Nouakchott and east of the agro-pastoral zone.