BURKINA FASO Monthly Food Security Update February 2007 In general, the food security situation in all livelihood zones is satisfactory in terms of the availability and prices of grain. Despite limited pasture resources and animal watering problems in the North and the Sahel, terms of trade for livestock/grain are still in favor of pastoralists in most parts of the country. New outbreaks of meningitis in certain health districts and the contamination of bore holes in the north are serious threats affecting household health status. Suspected bird flu outbreaks in the central region dictate the need for increased surveillance at the country level. Seasonal calendar Normal rainfall 2006/07 Growing Season Start-of-season Harvests Land preparation Weeding - second dressing - field clean-up Off-season grain production MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB Dry Season First planting Replanting Dry season Current food security situation On the whole, the household food situation in all livelihood zones is considered acceptable, despite anticipated problems in the following at‐risk areas. In the Sahel, a livelihood zone characterized mainly by transhumant pastoralism and pearl millet production (figure 1), the levels of on‐farm reserves are relatively low in villages like Déou and Tinakoff in Oudalan province and virtually nonexistent in other villages like Gorgadji, in Soum. With household food self‐sufficiency in this area considered average at best, the short‐term food outlook suggests that households will face increasing food insecurity during the next one to three months. However, inventory levels in grain banks in this region are satisfactory thanks to partnerships between certain NGOs and regional organizations. In the Northern and North‐Central regions, where there are two contiguous livelihood zones, that of the far north, characterized by livestock raising and millet production, and the food economy zone based on grain and groundnut production and market gardening, the food situation of chronically food‐insecure households is beginning to be a source of concern. A normal level of local production in certain provinces like Bam covers a mere three months’ worth of household food needs. With household food reserves set aside for consumption during the farming season and lean period as in other parts of the country, local households are currently turning to area markets to buy grain with proceeds from sales of small animals and income from activities such as market gardening. FEWS NET Burkina Faso FEWS NET Washington Tel: 00226 50 37 47 06 1717 H St NW FEWS NET is a USAID-funded activity. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the view of the United States Agency Fax: 00226 50 37 47 02 Washington DC 20006 for International Development or the United States Government. [email protected], [email protected] [email protected] www.fews.net/burkina BURKINA FASO Monthly Food Security Update February 2007 Figure 1. Livelihood zones in Burkina Faso ZONE MAIN TYPES OF PRODUCTION 8Gorom-Gorom MALI Djibo Djibo Zone1 Tubers/Corn ! Dori ! Titao 7 Dori NIGER Zone 2 Corn, Rice, Fruit, Cotton Ouahigouya! Kongoussi Sebba Tougan Kaya Gourcy Boulsa Tougan Kaya Zone 3 Cotton, Corn ! ! Bogande Nouna Yako 6 Bousse 5 Gayeri Toma Zone 4 Sorghum, Millet, Cotton Dedougou Ziniare! ! 4 Ouagadougou ^ Koudougou Ouagadougou!( ! Zorgho Solenzo Dedougou Reo Koudougou Koupela Zone 5 Grain, Groundnuts, Market Gardening Fada-N'Gourma! Diapaga Kombissiri 3 Tenkodogo ! Boromo Sapouy Manga Tenkodogo Pama Zone 6 Sorghum, Millet, Sedentary livestock, Cotton Orodara Houndé Ouargaye 9 Bobo-Dioulasso Leo Po ! Leo Po ! Orodara Bobo-DioulassoDiebougouDano ! ! ! Diebougou Zone 7 Livestock, Millet Banfora Sindou ! 2 1 BENIN Zone 8 Transhumant Pastoralism, Pearl Millet Banfora Gaoua! GHANA TOGO Groundnuts, millet, sorghum, cross-border trade, Batié Zone 9 050100 tourism, hunting COTE D'IVOIRE Kilometers The permanent closure of arsenic‐contaminated boreholes in the Northern region is creating serious concerns over the supply of drinking water in affected communities. In general, current household food availability in the Eastern and Central Plateau regions is satisfactory, except in certain localized areas. Together, these two regions encompass three livelihood zones: grain and groundnut production and market gardening on the Central Plateau; sorghum and millet production, sedentary livestock‐raising and cotton production in the northern and northeastern part of the Eastern region; and groundnut, millet and sorghum production, cross‐border trade, tourism and hunting in the southern and southwestern part of this same Eastern region. There is good grain availability on area markets provisioned by traders, except in certain departments. Households in other regions and livelihood zones still have adequate food supplies to ensure their daily meals. The meningitis epidemic in parts of the North‐Central, Eastern, Northern and Central‐Western regions could affect household living standards, by increasing the resources poor households must devote to healthcare. As of the end of February, there were 3,625 suspected cases of meningitis and 324 deaths, or an 8.9 percent fatality rate. Current efforts by health stakeholders and their partners are focused on further improving drug supplies at the health district level in line with the number of reported cases of illness, pursuing awareness‐raising activities through the media and expanding epidemiological surveillance. Food access on produce markets Food access on markets in virtually all regions is satisfactory. Most provincial and departmental markets are well stocked by traders. Market prices are edging upwards, which is quite normal for this time of year, but inventory levels in grain banks in this region are satisfactory thanks to partnerships between certain NGOs and regional organizations, and prices are still below last year’s figures. Supplies on provincial and departmental markets in the Sahelian region are satisfactory in Soum, Seno and Oudalan provinces and low in Yagha province, an area which is reportedly exporting massive amounts of grain to Niger. Such exports are quite normal in border areas but, in this case, excessive exports have reduced grain availability and driven up prices. Markets in this region are generally provisioned by trader inventories from the Western region and the capital, Sankaryaré/Ouagadougou. In the North‐Central region, strategies for bolstering grain access vary from one province to another in food insecure departments. Grain purchases in Bam province are financed by income‐generating activities and in Sanmatenga Province by proceeds from sales of small animals. Famine Early Warning Systems Network 2 BURKINA FASO Monthly Food Security Update February 2007 Right now, income from livestock‐raising market gardening and migration income in food‐insecure areas in the Northern region are bolstering household grain access. However, there are concerns about supplies in certain departmental markets in Yatenga province, once access to this area is cut off during the rainy season. A look at trends in prices for local millet crops on reference markets (figure 2) shows price increases everywhere but in Niéneta/Bobo Dioulasso. This is a reflection of the normal, seasonal, post‐harvest upswing in grain prices and is probably a market reaction to ongoing procurements of local grain crops and growing consumer demand. Prices are 5 percent lower than last month in Niéneta (a grain‐producing area in the western part of the country), 5 percent higher than last month on the Sankaryaré/Ouagadougou market in the Central region and 4 percent higher on the Dori market in the Sahel. Current prices are more than 15 percent below prices at the same time last year, except in Kaya, where prices are 8 percent higher. There was a 12 percent jump in prices for local millet crops on the Kaya market between December and January (Figure 3), most likely due to the effects of the flooding in this region during last year’s rainy season. However, prices on this market are still running below the five‐year average. Figure 2. Trends in prices for local millet crops on Figure 3. Trends in prices for local millet crops on the K reference markets between January 2006 and January 2007 market compared with 2006 and the five-year average 200 180 160 175 140 150 120 100 125 80 CFAF/Kg 60 Price in CFAF/KG in Price 100 40 20 75 0 N N C A FEB AR AY JUL SEP E J M APR M JU D 50 AUG OCT NOV 6 06 6 6 6 0 0 t 06 ay 2006 2007 Five Year Avg. (02-06) Jan 06 Feb July 06 Jan 07 April 06 M June Aug 0 Sep Oct 06 Nov 06 Dec 0 March 06 Dédougou Diébougou Dori Kaya Niéneta (Bobo Dioulasso) Ouahigouya Source of data: SIM/SONAGESS, RESIMAO and Sankaryaré (Ouagadougou) Regional Departments of Agriculture; Graphic by FEWS NET Source of data: SIM/SONAGESS, RESIMAO and Regional Departments of Agriculture; Graphic by FEWS NET Livestock situation For the most part, livestock are being fed agricultural byproducts such as forage, tops of plants and hay. The food situation for livestock in livelihood zones characterized by transhumant pastoralism, livestock‐raising and local millet production (in the Sahel, the Northern region and the North‐Central region) is becoming complicated. The availability of pasture, whose condition is quickly deteriorating, is poor to nil. Forage inventories in the form of crop residues and/or forage crops (cowpeas) are too low to meet projected livestock needs until new pasture is available after the start of the rainy season in June. The purchasing of agricultural byproducts on local markets is one of the coping strategies used by pastoralists to feed their herds. These products are extremely sought‐after, but government‐subsidized supplies offered through Provincial Offices and the Department of Animal Resources are often inadequate. The availability of water for livestock is also becoming increasingly problematic in the Sahel, after certain dams in Séno and Soum provinces burst following torrential rains during last year’s rainy season.