Mali

Over the past month, Mali experienced below-average rainfall conditions across its southern and south-central regions, while the rest of the country remained near average. The main-season maize, millet, and sorghum crops are currently in their vegetative to reproductive stages. However, below-average crop biomass conditions are visible in the Ségou, Sikasso, and Koulikoro regions, where approximately 35% to 45% of the active crop area is affected by a greenness anomaly. Similarly, rangeland conditions are below average in the Sikasso and Tombouctou regions, with 25% to 30% of the active pastureland showing signs of vegetation stress. In all other regions, crop and rangeland conditions track near average. Looking forward, the Copernicus C3S Multimodel seasonal rainfall forecast for September 2026 points to average conditions nationwide. Yet, despite this improved forecast for near-normal rainfall in southern Mali, the current agricultural season faces localized production deficits. These shortfalls stem from initial below-average rainfall that forced extensive replanting, compounded by persistent insecurity and limited access to critical inputs like fuel, factors that collectively reduced the country's total cultivated area by 13.2% compared to last year (FEWS NET, July 2026).