Visibility ofpastoralismintheSahel: Study ofdemographic parameters of livestockherds in Hombori (Mali)

Pastoralism is the main economic activity for many households in northern Sahel. Despite rangeland quality during the rainy season, pastoral husbandry is subject tomany constraints related to the irregular availability of forage and the lack of access to food supplements and veterinary caremaking livestock production precarious.Yet themarket demand for livestock products is growing rapidly triggered by high population growth and rapid urbanization in the Sahel states and also in the neighboring coastal states. This study aims to document the herd demographic parameters and the forage production of rangelands used by livestock from the district of Hombori located in the northeast of Malian Sahel. The approach is based on retrospective surveys on herd composition and demographic events conducted from July 15 to September 15 2011 with 120 households from the district. The results indicate a low productivity of pastoral husbandry related to poor reproductive parameters including the late age at first calving, linked to very extensive pastoral practices. They also show strong exploitation rates particularly for sheep flocks even when reproductive performance are low and mortality rates are high. To improve herd productivity, ensure the sustainability of these pastoral systems and the intergenerational transmission of livestock capital, the quality of livestock nutrition should be improved especially in seasonal regularity through greater pastoral mobility but also targeted seasonal supplementation.