ALERT LEVEL: NO ALERT MONTHLY FOOD SECURITY UPDATE WATCH WARNING FEBRUARY 2005 EMERGENCY

CONTENTS SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS Summary and current hazards ... 1 The main problem right now is the low level of on-farm food reserves in the northern part Food security ...... 1 of the country. Moreover, the erosion in the carrying capacity of grazing lands and the Grazing conditions ...... 3 depletion of water reserves are making it impossible for farm families to strengthen their Trends on grain markets ...... 4 purchasing power. As a result, household food security conditions are difficult in grain- Conclusion and suggestions ...... 6 short areas concentrated primarily in the central-western, Central Plateau, north-central, northern and, particularly, the Sahelian regions of the country. Food aid programs by the government and local stakeholders in areas showing the worst food deficits have stabilized and, in some cases, lowered grain prices. Likewise, the resourcefulness of grain traders has helped ensure good market supplies in the northern part of the country. Grain traders have also helped to keep fluctuations in grain prices within acceptable margins for area households. In sum, household food security conditions have improved, which has gone a long way towards easing the fears awakened during the harvesting period. The stabilization of grain prices has caused livestock prices to inch upwards, strengthening the purchasing power of pastoral households. SEASONAL CALENDAR

Farming activities start up first in the south and spread northwards. CURRENT HAZARD SUMMARY • The low levels of market inventories and on-farm and community grain reserves are driving up prices, to the detriment of households.

• Water access (for drinking and crop and animal production) is becoming increasingly scarce, both for the rural population and for urban dwellers. Increasingly poor hay availability in agropastoral areas throughout the northern part of the country is creating a serious problem for local pastoralists. FOOD SECURITY CONDITIONS The food situation in provinces identified as vulnerable to food insecurity is satisfactory. In fact, conditions in these provinces have actually improved, thanks to the resourcefulness of grain traders and the food aid programs mounted by the government and its local partners.

In the central-western region or the livelihood zone dependent mainly on grain, cotton and tuber crops, herding and vegetable production, 9 departments in Boulkiemdé and Sanguié provinces are classified as food-insecure or as at risk of experiencing food insecurity problems. Grain availability is good in Sissili and Ziro provinces, which are major farming areas. In contrast, on-farm grain reserves are low in Boulkiemdé and Sanguié provinces, where poor harvests were reported and where more and more households are turning to local markets as their source of food.

Constraints hampering income-generating activities are weakening household purchasing power. Vegetable FEWS NET/Burkina Faso FEWS NET is funded by the US Agency for International Development TEL: 00226 50 33 54 81 TEL: 00226 50 31 46 74 www.fews.net E-mail: [email protected]

BURKINA FASO: MONTHLY FOOD SECURITY UPDATE FEBRUARY 2005

production is limited due to shortages of water for irrigation, and sales are stagnating with vegetable crops all brought to market at the same time.

Food security conditions are still satisfactory, but the steady rise in grain prices and the erosion in household purchasing power could affect the food outlook for households in grain-short departments during this year’s pre- harvest lean period.

On the whole, the food situation is good throughout the northern region, which is dependent mainly on grain, vegetable and groundnut crops and herding activities. Household reserves are low throughout this region, which encompasses 31 at-risk departments but, surprisingly, food access has improved as a result of the low grain prices in this area. Recognizing the relative poverty of area households, thus far, traders have kept price fluctuations within acceptable margins. The existence of a few operational grain banks is also helping to improve grain availability.

Sales of small stock animals and large harvests of vegetable crops despite dwindling water reserves are bringing in sizeable amounts of cash income. However, it remains to be seen how long these strategies will continue to be effective enough to enable area households to sustain their currently good food situation.

The Sahelian region, dependent on extensive livestock-raising and subsistence farming activities, has been particularly hard hit by the effects of the drought and the locust outbreak and, as such, is the region most vulnerable to food insecurity, with 21 at-risk departments. On-farm reserves are low, but the food situation has improved with the good grain availability on local markets. The grain sold on markets in this region comes mostly from the eastern, southern and western parts of the country.

More specifically, the food situation in (a major pastoral area) has improved, thanks to a local development project under which a total of 1,435.2 MT of millet were offered to area households at a subsidized price

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BURKINA FASO: MONTHLY FOOD SECURITY UPDATE FEBRUARY 2005

of 10,000 CFAF per 100 kg sack. This influx of grain caused prices in Markoye department to plummet from 17,500 CFAF in November of last year down to 14,500 CFAF per 100 kg sack in January of this year.

However, prices in Séno and Soum provinces are still running high. Households in these provinces are still waiting to see an improvement in grain availability on local markets.

Most of the cash income of households in the Sahelian region is brought in by sales of livestock. The most destitute area residents will try and sell all sorts of products (straw, wild fruit for livestock, etc.) on local markets.

The food situation in the country’s north-central region, which is dependent on grain, vegetable and pulse crops and herding activities, remains satisfactory. The north-central region is a transition area into the country’s Sahelian region. Households outside its 19 at-risk departments still have large enough on-farm reserves to meet their food needs up until May or June. Area markets are getting ample supplies from provisioning markets in the central and southern parts of the country.

Grain prices are still rising but, except for the most destitute households, food access is relatively good, thanks to vegetable farming and livestock-raising activities (including the fattening of sheep).

The Central Plateau region is more or less comparable to the north-central region in terms of livelihoods. It has 11 at-risk departments, all in Oubritenga and Kourwéogo provinces. Food security conditions in are good, but the steady rise in grain prices is complicating the food situation of poor households in Oubritenga and Kourwéogo provinces.

Within the Central Plateau region, the food situation in Ganzourgou province has been better than in the other two provinces (Oubritenga and Kourwéogo). GRAZING CONDITIONS AND CONTRIBUTION OF LIVETSOCK RAISING ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVED HOUSEHOLDS FOOD SECURITY CONDITIONS An assessment of hay availability in the central-western region yields mixed results: - Hay is adequately available in the southern reaches of the region (Sissili and Ziro), bolstered by supplies of crop residues. There has been a sharp deterioration in the nutritional quality of the hay, but the most serious concern right now is its destruction by brush fires. - Pasture availability (hay and water) in the northern reaches of the region (Boulkièmdé and Sanguié) is poor. Supplies of crop residues (stalks of grain plants, tops of cowpea plants and forage crops) are also low. These crop residues play a major role in meeting the feeding needs of the area’s animal population, even in normal years. Animals in this part of the region are beginning to show signs of wasting.

The main domestic destinations for seasonal migration by migratory animal herds are Ziro, Sissili and Balé, though the destination of choice is still (particularly for pastoralists in the southern part of this region).

Price ratios for livestock are low. According to experts with the Regional Office of Animal Resources, this is related to the reduction in grain availability. However, sheep prices shot up during the Tabaski holiday period, with male sheep between 18 months and 3 years of age selling for an average of 35,000 CFAF.

Pasture production is more or less consistent throughout the Table 1: Cost of byproducts in Yatenga () entire northern region. The quantity and quality of Type of product Quantity (kg) Price (CFAF) pasturelands are both extremely poor. Acacia albida and Cotton cakes 50 3,000 to 3,750 Piliostigma reticulatum pods are being used as feed Cotton seeds 70 2,500 supplements. There are an estimated 69,821 MT of crop Bran, in bulk 40 2,500 residues (stalks of grain plants and tops of cowpea and Bran, in cubes 50 3,750 groundnut plants) in reserve for the entire region, plus 1,059.95 MT of stacked hay. Reserves of forage crops and agroindustrial byproducts are also being used to feed livestock herds in this region. Agroindustrial byproducts are highly sought-after, particularly for fattening and milk production, but the cost of these feed products is rather high (see Table 1).

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BURKINA FASO: MONTHLY FOOD SECURITY UPDATE FEBRUARY 2005

Sales on livestock markets have Table 2: Status of supplies and sales on the Youba market for January of 2005 Cattle Sheep Goats slowed with the end of the Tabaski Supply Sales Percnt Supply Sales Percent Supply Sales Percent holiday period. Business on the sold sold sold Youba market (a benchmark market in 3 082 1 662 54% 7 232 5 901 81.6% 4 184 3 818 91.25% tracked by the Livestock Service) during the month of Tabaski (January of 2005) was quite brisk, with more than adequate sales figures in percentage terms (see Table 2). Most cattle and sheep went for export to Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo. Goats were sold primarily to local slaughterhouses.

Animal prices have been falling since the end of the Tabaski holiday period, which had driven up cattle prices and sheep prices even more so. The drop in prices is attributable to the slowdown in sales by Burkinabè livestock dealers in Ivory Coast, who brought back with them more than 2,000 unsold sheep.

Pastoralists in the northern part of this region are heading to seasonal grazing lands in Mali, while pastoralists in the southern part of the region are migrating westwards.

Herbaceous plant cover and aerial pasture in the Sahelian region is sparse and scarce in the wake of the drought and the locust outbreak, creating a critical food shortage for the area’s animal population, which is already showing signs of wasting. There is a visible shortage of pasture in Oudalan Province, where the main source of forage for the area’s animal population right now is woody vegetation.

There is heavy demand for agroindustrial byproducts despite their high cost. The shortage of natural forage is forcing pastoralists to supplement their hay supplies with these feed concentrates in order to save their livestock, which are their main means of subsistence. A sack of cotton cakes is selling for 4,000 CFAF in Dori.

Hay and crop residues are being brought in from outside the area with project aid to compensate for the shortage of natural pasture, and 70 MT of agroindustrial byproducts were shipped into Oudalan province as an emergency measure. Water availability is also extremely limited. Virtually all natural seasonal lakes and ponds have run dry. Livestock are being watered at dams and wells, which is creating heavy concentrations of animals around these watering points. This overstocking is damaging to an already fragile environment. The most advisable course of action would be to repair any damaged boreholes and drill new boreholes where none exist to prevent pastoralists from having to travel long distances to water their herds, which is harming the animals as well as the environment.

Migratory animal herds are heading towards seasonal grazing grounds within the country (in Komandjari, Tapoa and Kompienga provinces, etc.) and in neighboring countries (Mali, Niger and Ghana). Most herds began their seasonal migration earlier than usual, or somewhere in October and November of last year.

Animal prices increased in December in anticipation of the upcoming New Year’s celebration and the Tabaski holiday period. The improvement in grain availability and the downturn in grain prices throughout the region prevented pastoralists from selling off their livestock, as was the case during the months of September through November of last year. Other possible contributing factors to the rise in livestock prices are mass migration by pastoralists and their animals, which tightened supplies on local markets, and the influx of buyers attracted by the fall in prices in this region. However, any hope of an upswing in livestock prices on the part of local pastoralists was short-lived, with prices falling back down in January in the wake of the slump in animal sales in cities throughout the interior and in Ivory Coast.

Supplies of pasture, crop residues, cut grass and reserves of forage crops in the north-central and Central Plateau regions are dwindling. According to experts, the imbalance between stocking rates and forage availability in these areas is expected to create feeding problems for the animal population before very long. Agroindustrial byproducts are in short supply and unaffordable for most pastoralists. Competition for aerial pasture by animals feeding on woody vegetation is increasing. The levels of watering holes are well below-average in all four provinces. Competition for access to these watering holes has become a source of recurring conflicts.

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BURKINA FASO: MONTHLY FOOD SECURITY UPDATE FEBRUARY 2005

GRAIN MARKET TRENDS In the central-western region, this year’s prices on grain markets in Boulkiemdé and Sanguié provinces are running extremely high, despite their proximity to major grain producing areas (Ziro, Sissili, Mouhoun and Balé). Prices are moving steadily upwards in both provinces (according to regional authorities). Price levels are way up from the same time last year, though 2004 was, in fact, an exceptionally good crop year. A “tine” (approximately 160 kg) of millet is selling for 3,200 CFAF in Koudougou, a village 100 kilometers from the capital, compared with last year’s price of 2,200 CFAF, a 45 percent increase. This year’s high prices are creating problems for residents of grain-short areas (particularly for the poor), who rely a great deal on local markets to meet their food needs or to save the few crops they were able to grow for consumption during the farming season.

Figure 1: Trends in millet prices on the Dédougou, Dori, Fada N’Gourma, Kaya, Ouahigouya and markets between January of 2003 and February of 2005

Dedougou Dor i Fada N'Gourma Kaya Ouahigouya Ouagadougou

225.00

200.00

175.00

150.00

125.00 Prix (FCFA/kg) Prix 100.00

75.00

50.00

25.00

Jan. 03Feb. 03 Apr. 03 Jun. 03Jul. 03 Oct. 03Nov. 03Dec. 03Jan. 04Feb. 04 Apr. 04 Jun. 04Jul. 04 Oct. 04Nov. 04Dec. 04Jan. 05Feb. 05 Mar. 03 May. 03 Aug. 03Sept. 03 Mar. 04 May. 04 Aug. 04Sept. 04

The resourceful of grain traders in the northern region of the country is impressive. Despite the remoteness of this region from crop-producing areas in the southern and western parts of the country, they have managed to ensure ample market supplies and keep prices relatively affordable for local households (see Figure 1). Prices are up from the harvest period but still affordable, running just below 2003 prices. Current prices around the region for a 100 kg sack of millet range from 14,000 to 16,000 CFAF. Prices for the same quantity of millet had reached a record 18,000 CFAF between October and November of last year in certain departments such as Thiou department in Yatenga province. Another factor which is helping to keep price levels down is the recognition of the relative poverty of local residents by grain traders active in this area.

A look at market conditions in the Sahelian region shows two main trends:

• Grain prices are up from the same time last year and the previous year in Dori (Séno) and Djibo (Soum), as illustrated by the price curve for Dori in Figure 1. Price levels are running rather high, but households mainly want better supplies of grain and animal feed on local markets at competitive prices.

• On the other hand, though up from the same time last year, current grain prices are actually way down from October and November thanks to a local project known as the Oudalan Local Development Program, which offered millet for sale to area households at a subsidized price of 10,000 CFAF per 100 kg sack. This marketing program brought down the price of a sack of millet from as much as 22,500 CFAF in certain villages around the

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BURKINA FASO: MONTHLY FOOD SECURITY UPDATE FEBRUARY 2005

province, back in October, to around 15,000 CFAF for the month of February.

The rise in livestock prices in December strengthened Figure 2: Trends in terms of trade for livestock/millet on the terms of trade for local pastoralists. However, this Gorom Gorom market improvement in price ratios from the standpoint of ram KG millet/ram pastoralists was short-lived, with conditions quickly turning in favor of grain traders in January (see Figure 70000 400 2). 60000 350 300 50000 However, the food situation in this region has 250 improved since the harvest period, when many local 40000 200 residents decided to leave the area. 30000 150 20000 In the north-central region of the country, grain 100 milletKG per ram Price per ram (CFAF) prices in Boulsa have been holding steady since 10000 50 November of last year. Prices on the Kaya market are 0 0 visibly up, while the rise in prices in Kongoussi has Sep. 04 Oct. 04 Nov. 04 Dec. 04 Jan.05 slowed since the month of December. Note: The prices in this figure are for well-fattened adult Sahelian rams earmarked primarily for export. Prices in farming areas of the Central Plateau region (Source: SIM/SONAGESS and SIM/Livestock) are climbing steadily upwards, with sizeable hikes in prices between January of last year and this past January. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The food situation has changed for the better in areas of the country impacted by the drought and the locust plague. This improvement is attributable to the success of grain traders in ensuring adequate market supplies, of programs mounted by certain local food security partners and of the coping strategies implemented by the local poulation.

The food outlook in those regions of the country most vulnerable to food insecurity is uncertain. Given the length of this year’s lean period, the most advisable course of action is to: - continue to monitor conditions in at-risk areas; - make a targeting study to pinpoint specific population groups as potential recipients of food aid; - mount projects designed to assist destitute population groups during the upcoming farming season; - provide the Sahelian region of the country with a supply of animal feed.

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