Rainfall conditions favorable to crop development have been observed

After a rainy season marked by pauses until the end of June 2022, the resumption of rainfall since the first dekad of July has enabled sowing to take place in all agricultural and agro-pastoral zones earlier than in 2021, according to monitoring data from the Directorate of Agricultural Statistics. Sowing has not yet taken place in villages in conflict zones, where access to cropland is limited. Rainfall and water conditions are favorable for the phenological development of existing crops. These conditions create agricultural labor opportunities for poor households, with weeding work providing an average income for poor households.

The security situation remains precarious and volatile in Liptako Gourma and the Lake Chad basin, due to recurrent attacks by armed groups on the civilian and military population. According to ACLED, a total of 15 security incidents were recorded in July 2022, compared with 24 in 2021 and 24 in 2020. The number of security incidents is higher in the Tillabéry region, where they also cause more casualties among the civilian population, and force people into continual displacement, resulting in the abandonment of cropland and a reduction in livelihood activities.

Conditions for grazing and watering animals have not improved significantly in the pastoral zone, where rainfall has been low and has not yet allowed watering points to fill up properly and herbaceous vegetation to emerge. This situation means that the pastoral hunger gap will continue until July. Income from livestock sales is average, but the terms of trade for livestock in relation to cereal products are below the five-year average. The food security situation is characterized by increased food expenditure and reduced non-food expenditure by poor livestock-raising households, the majority of whom are under Stress (IPC Phase 2).

Markets are supplied with food products and livestock, with cereals (maize, sorghum and millet) on offer from importing traders, and cereals sold by the government at moderate prices. Despite last year's shortfall in agricultural production and the depletion of stocks, demand is low, as ongoing free distributions by the government and its partners target poor and vulnerable households, giving them access to cereals without massive recourse to the markets. Market prices are up compared to the five-year average and to 2021 at the same time, due to lower market supplies resulting from low product availability in the country and reduced cross-border flows.

Overall Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes prevail in agricultural and agro-pastoral livelihood zones in July 2022. However, for the majority of poor households in the Tillabéry region and north-western Tahoua region, Crisis (Phase 3 IPC) outcomes persist, and in the Diffa region and south-western Maradi, where the food assistance provided covers the estimated food requirements of 2100 Kcal per person per day for the majority of poor households, food insecurity is Stress! (Phase 2 ! IPC).