Mauritania: the harmful consequences of border closings on transhumance
Audio 02:16
By: Salem Mejbour
The closure of borders with neighboring countries due to Covid-19 could seriously impact the Mauritanian livestock. The coronavirus pandemic has brought about the end of the transhumance of herds to neighboring countries, Mali and Senegal. Thousands of breeders used to cross borders each year with their herds, as these countries generally offer enough pasture after each winter. This year, everything is blocked with the closing of the borders.
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Ahemd sheikh, a small ruminant breeder from south-eastern Mauritania, is confined this year with his herd. He can not cross the Malian border, as he used to: " This year, I am concerned about the future of animals. How to feed them before wintering? We made the herd cross for Mali every year from the month. There are enough pastures there. Mali and Mauritania are linked by transhumance agreements. This allowed us to go back and forth with the cattle without too much worry. The coronavirus suspended transhumance with the closure of the borders. "
Ahmed Cheikh's concern is shared by the president of the Groupement des associations agropastorales de Mauritanie. Hacene Taleb recalls the advantages that a Mauritanian breeder derives from transhumance with Senegal and Mali: “ This transhumance allows him to destock on markets lacking in meat in coastal countries: Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo,… These coastal countries are major grain producers, most lacking in Mauritania. He buys grain and brings it back to Mauritania. All this is stopped because the borders are closed. "
Limam Sidi is a breeder from the south of the country. According to him, the current situation requires exceptional measures: “ It is a new situation. The state has to make arrangements to help the breeders, because the whole economy of the country is based on livestock. We are a country of breeding and agriculture. And if the state does not take drastic measures to reverse this trend, we will witness a disaster. "
Livestock represents 21% of Mauritania's gross domestic product. This importance has prompted the government to make a gesture in favor of breeders. Mohamed Med, head of the Mauritanian Ministry of Agriculture: “ We are going to make 88,000 tonnes of good quality food available throughout the country at a subsidized price. "
480,000 euros, or the equivalent of 178,000,000 ouguiyas, this is the amount that was used to buy food. The envelope also provides for the drilling of 25 water points equipped with solar energy pumps in pastoral areas so that the livestock can drink.
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google-play-badge_FR- Africa
- Agriculture and Fisheries
- Coronavirus
- Mauritania
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