MAURITANIA (10 May)
The desert locust situation remains extremely serious in the country. Considerable damage to crops is reported in oases and pastures, but control operations continue to be hampered by lack of resources. According to official estimates, US$6 million are needed to treat about 500 000 hectares infested.
Aggregate cereal production in 2003 has been recently revised by CILSS to about 200 000 tonnes, some 73 percent higher than in 2002 and sharply higher than the average for the previous five years. This good crop comes after three consecutive drought-reduced harvests that resulted in near-famine conditions in several regions.
Mauritania is a food import-dependent country whose domestic production covers less than half of the country’s cereal utilization requirement in a normal year. Food security is heavily dependent on trade and the exchange rate of Ouguiya, the national currency. Due to the steady depreciation of the Ouguiya against the Euro and the CFA franc since the beginning of 2003, cereal prices have been rising significantly in spite of the good harvest and considerable imports from neighbouring CFA countries. This situation is seriously affecting food security of many rural and urban households across the country.
Cereal import requirements for the 2003/04 marketing year (November/October) are forecast at about 315 000 tonnes, mostly wheat. This includes 30 000 tonnes of wheat for re-export.