Displacement and economic disruption continue to drive food insecurity in the North, which has been under the control of armed groups since April. The disruption of trade has led to cash shortages and an increase in bartering. The North relies on imports to compensate for low levels of staple food production. Whereas the northern regions of Gao and Kidal continue to receive wheat products from nearby Algeria, markets in Tombouctou are poorly supplied. Considerable levels of assistance and the seasonal resumption of milk production have probably stabilized the food security situation in the north. An EFSA focusing on internally displaced households and host households has taken place, with results expected in October 2012.
Coarse grain prices have been exceptionally high over the past year in Mali, in September year-on-year price increases were 63 per cent for millet, 43 per cent for sorghum, and 44 per cent for maize. Generally, annual June-September rains have been timely and abundant; harvest and grazing prospects are positive for 2012/2013. The arrival of the main harvest in October is expected to lead to an improvement in grain availability and a decline in food prices. The desert locust situation deserves continued monitoring.
October 2012
