The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa with a total surface area of 1.22 million km². Its population was estimated at 11.37 million in 2002, and is increasing at an annual rate of 2 per cent.

More than 60 per cent of the country is in desert or semi-desert zones, 20 per cent is in the Sahelian zone and the remainder has a Sudanese-Guinean type of climate with rainfall reaching levels of 1,200 mm per year. Two of the largest rivers in the African continent cross Mali: the Senegal River, more than 900 km long, and the Niger River, more than 1,600 km in length. Used for grazing in the dry season, the country’s vast flood plains support agriculture on land located near permanent lakes and ponds. Agriculture remains heavily dependent on rainfall and floodwater. Rainfall is extremely irregular, especially in the north.

Agriculture and the economy
The economy of Mali is based largely on agriculture, which represents 40 per cent of gross national product (GNP), 75 per cent of export income and 80 per cent of employment.  The main crops include traditional basic foodstuffs (rice, millet and sorghum), and cotton, which is the most widespread income-producing crop in the south. Agriculture is primarily subsistence agriculture carried on by small farmers who sell only 15 to 20 per cent of their products. Production varies considerably according to rainfall, and the cost-effectiveness of cotton as a crop depends on fluctuating prices on global markets. In the north, pastoral livestock production is an important means of subsistence.

Over the past ten years, the Government of Mali has undertaken institutional, political and economic reforms that have led to liberalization of the economy, decentralization of administration of public affairs and development activities, and advancement of the country’s regional integration into the West African Economic and Monetary Union. Since devaluation of the currency in 1993, Mali’s GNP has grown on average by 5 to 6 per cent per year. Per capita income, estimated at US$290 per year, remains very low. Inflation is under control and the country offers a comparative advantage, particularly in the livestock sector. Despite the considerable progress that has been made, socio-economic development is limited by agriculture’s dependence on rainfall for livestock and crop production, the early stage of development of the industrial sector, the importance of the informal economy, lack of development of human resources and degradation of natural resources.

Source: IFAD

email this article