VZCZCXRO6531
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0813/01 2820921
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 090921Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5370
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1671
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0315
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0214
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 0010
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0014
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000813 
 
SIPDIS 
AIDAC 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT, AND AF/PDPA 
PLS PASS USAID AFR/WA FOR NFREEMAN, LDOORES-FENDELL, GBERTOLIN 
OFDA/W FOR ACONVERY, CCHAN, FSHANKS, MSHIRLEY, JMCINTOSH 
FFP/W FOR JBORNS, ASINK, TMCRAE 
ACRA ALSO FOR AFR/WA 
DAKAR FOR RDAVIS 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
ROME FOR US MISSION RNEWBERG, HSPANOS 
BRUSSELS FOR USAID PBROWN 
NEW YORK FOR DMERCADO 
NSC FOR CPRATT 
 
E.O.  12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR PGOV EAID SOCI NG
SUBJECT:  Niger: Early Warning of Increase in Food Insecurity 
 
NIAMEY 00000813  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  There are increasing official and anecdotal reports 
that this year's harvest will be poorer than that of most recent 
years with some areas facing acute stress.  FFPO made site visits 
across the agro-pastoral zone and found poor or negligible harvest 
in many villages. Populations are already reacting with increased 
migration for work and consumption of wild, less desirable and less 
nutritious leaves and seeds.  USAID is meeting with MYAP partners to 
share perspectives and plan immediate mitigation interventions and 
plan a longer term response.  End summary. 
 
Season at End:  Crops Results Mixed, Pasturage Poor 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶2. The growing season in Niger is over.  The results of the growing 
season are mixed.  It is generally agreed that pasturage is bad 
across the pastoral zone.  There are a number of reports of 
significant crop failures across the ago-pastoral zone and in the 
rain-fed agriculture zones of Niger.  The zones affected stretch 
from the border of Burkina Faso in the west to the Chadian border in 
the east. 
 
Millet and Niebe Hit Hard, GON Response Unclear 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶3. Crops affected include two of the major subsistence and cash 
crops:  millet and niebe (black-eyed peas).  Niebe is a major cash 
crop for many farmers in the southern region of the country.  Last 
year the Government of Niger (GON) purchased large quantities of 
niebe at above-market price in order to provide increased income for 
producers.  Most of the product was sold to Nigeria.  It is not 
known what the GON will do this year given the crop failure. 
 
Field Survey Reveals N-S Disparity, Total Losses 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
¶4. The USAID Food for Peace Officer (FFPO) traveled in the 
agricultural and agro- pastoral zones of Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, and 
Zinder regions the week of September 28-October 2.  There was 
clearly a wide disparity in grain quantity and quality in various 
locations.  The further north the FFPO traveled, the poorer the 
grain quality became to the extent that in Mirrah and Tanout 
Departments, many villages demonstrated no harvestable grain at all. 
 Locals reported total grain loss in areas across Zinder Region.  An 
NGO partner reported significant or total loss of harvest in 
Northern Dogondoutchi Department and increased cases of malnutrition 
in the health centers.  We are getting similar reports from visitors 
to Illela Department north of Birni-N'Konni.  One NGO partner 
country director was in agro-pastoral Diffa during the last week of 
September, and reported widespread crop failure and the possibility 
of increased conflict as pastoralists encroach into cultivators' 
territory.  While some regions in Niger frequently suffer from crop 
losses due to erratic rainfall patterns, this year the problem is 
much more widespread. 
 
Migration Early, Non-Traditional Foods Eaten 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶5. Villagers reported that migration to work in Nigeria had begun 
earlier and by more men than usual.  Women were reporting that soon 
they would migrate to the nearby towns to find menial work such as 
grain pounding or babysitting. Some villagers are eating bush foods, 
both leaves and grains, instead of harvested domestic cereals. 
 
2009 Harvest below Ave. of Past 7 Years 
--------------------------------------- 
¶6. In September, the monthly food security information bulletin from 
the Office of the Prime Minister reported the prospect for the 2009 
harvest of cereals was below the average of the last seven years. 
The same bulletin quoted the Office of Agricultural Statistics that 
compared the probable 2009 harvest to recent past years (2002 to 
2008), noting it was the second-worst harvest in that period.  The 
harvest in 2004-2005 was considered a year of famine and resulted in 
a large influx of international support, both monetary and grain 
supplies.  The report predicted, if this harvest is in fact similar 
 
NIAMEY 00000813  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
to that of the previous time period, approximately 4,000 villages 
with a population of 3 million could experience deficits in 
harvests.  An experienced observer of Niger agriculture noted grain 
harvest may be more than 20 percent below an average year.  The 
inter-ministerial annual assessment of the harvest with support from 
CILS, FAO, FEWS-NET, and others is just beginning.  The results are 
not expected for several weeks or longer.  Furthermore, accurate and 
candid reporting from GON entities is questionable. 
 
Early Action to Mitigate Worst Effects 
-------------------------------------- 
¶7. It is difficult at this time to accurately describe the magnitude 
of the food security problem (both geographically and in terms of 
nutritional stress on vulnerable populations).  It is, however, 
clear that early action to provide access to food for the most 
at-risk populations will help mitigate the worst effects of the food 
security problem.  To that end, FFPO has convened a meeting of MYAP 
partners to share information on the agricultural and nutritional 
situation and explore possible interventions that can be implemented 
immediately within the MYAP program and locations of interventions. 
 
Cash-for-Work, Nutritional Interventions, Reserves Key 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
¶8. For example, planned cash-for-work activities can be started 
earlier than planned to expedite resource transfer.  Nutrition 
interventions that are planned for late in the year or in 2011 can 
be moved forward.  The PROSAN partners (CRS, CARE, and Helen Keller) 
have 250 MT of soy-fortified bulgur as an emergency reserve. 
Prudent targeted programming of the reserves can begin in the most 
vulnerable regions.  The MYAP partners will also begin to plan 
interventions that might require additional food and monetary 
resources for which they can seek donor support. 
 
¶9. Note:  The Mission will continue to monitor the developments on 
the ground aggressively and with the help of established reporting 
channels such as FEWS-NET, the UN, and GON-related sources and 
develop a more comprehensive picture of the geographical and 
humanitarian impact of this year's harvest.  End note. 
 
WHITAKER