Irrigated Crops

Currently, only 1% of national need for wheat is covered, with a consumption of 123 kg per year per inhabitant and a high demand for livestock feed, leading to imports of USD 322 million. Investments are focused on implementing irrigation to increase productivity and yields, concentrating on construction of primary canals, equipping 23,000 hectares with sprinkling with fencing, supplying power lines, rehabilitation of equipment, and seed production.

These investments aim at increasing yield to 4.5 tonnes/hectare, to produce an average yearly of 80,000 tons of grains, 180,000 tons of straw and 1.4 million tons of fodder. Investments in the two target zones is estimated at USD 208 million, from which private investment required is USD 113.7 million, with an IRR of 21%, benefiting 17,500 farmers.

Local Dairy

Currently, only 30% of national demand for milk is covered, with a consumption of 122 liters per year per inhabitant, leading to import of USD 80 million of milk. Currently there is a cattle herd of 2 million heads and camel herd of 1.4 million heads, with a production potential of

900 million litters/year of milk. Therefore, investments are being focused on improvement of productivity by developing an artificial insemination program for genetic improvement, construction of around 120 dairy farms with mechanical milking to stabilize production and facilitate collection, installation of 30 milk collection centers with training of staff and milkers equipped with refrigerated mopeds and automated milking machines, and development of 12 dairies to transform milk into fresh and long-life dairy products.

These investments will allow an increase in coverage of national needs to 80% and increase collection capacity by 35%, with an average production of around 120,000 tons of milk per year. Investments in four target regions will require USD 60 million, from which USD 46.4 million are private investments, with an IRR of 26.4%, benefiting 4,250 producers.

Onion

Onions are among the most consumed vegetables in Mauritania, with an estimated average consumption of 49 kg per capita per year, of which the average onion consumption is 15 kg. The annual need coverage rate of this commodity remains low. But the area cultivated with onions during the 2024-2025 agricultural season is 1395ha with expected production of 27900 tons. the proposed investment plan on this value chain was based on exploiting an area of 400 ha of onion with a yield rate of 40 tons/hectare. The investment needed is 22.5 million USD with an IRR of 16.6%. This investment could generate an additional income of 460 dollars per individual beneficiary.

Potato

Mauritania's vegetable needs are estimated, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, at 300,000 tons per year. The vast majority, 85 percent, of its needs are imported, while the remaining 15 percent are produced locally. In 2018, the overall vegetable import cost reached USD 28 million, according to a study by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty. The potato requirement coverage rate is low while the PNDA aims to reach a potato requirement coverage rate of 63% in 2025. Of the 49 kg vegetables consumed on average per person per year, 9 kg are potatoes. Given the importance of this commodity in the country and in the international market, the Arab Agency for Investment and Agricultural Development (AAAID) had signed a contract for the development of 3200 ha to grow potatoes, onions and various crops with an investment of 5.625 billion for production and 6.9 billion for works and supplies. It provided production for marketing at the national level and exported about 91,200 tons of potatoes and onions in 2019.

Despite the importance of potatoes in the culinary culture of Mauritanians, the production areas of this crop are very small. The area cultivated of potatoes in 2025 was 473 hectares with production of about 9640 tons. The proposed investment plan was based on exploiting 600 hectares with yield of 40 tons/hectare. The investment needed is about 24.7 million USD with an IRR of 24.3%. this investment could generate an additional income of 1900 dollars per individual beneficiary.

Forage Crops

Rangelands are the main source of livestock feed in Mauritania. These sources are dependent on annual rainfall. Pastures provide a very satisfactory feed supply during the winter, while during the dry season the remaining straws of low nutritional value are not sufficient to cover the animals' maintenance and growth needs. The availability of fodder remains a major challenge to better take advantage of the livestock sector where only red meat from cattle and sheep represents 34% of agricultural GDP. However, in the north, where rainfall is limited, agro-pastoralists have begun to introduce fodder cultivation under palm trees. However, in the south, where the conditions of the natural rangelands are better, fodder crops remain absent and in an embryonic state in the irrigated perimeters despite the trials of fodder crops that have been carried out by public and private sector, and which have given encouraging results.

The national center for agricultural research and development (CNRADA) had been testing several forage spaces for years. The most common forage species are: Isra cowpeas, cowpea, corner pea, alfalfa, panicum maximum, forage sorghum and Marlfalfa. All these species are potentially usable for the diversification of fodder crops in Mauritania. In our investment plan, we are interested in a grass species, Panicum maximum and another legume species, and forage cowpeas. The investment plan proposed was based on exploiting 800 hectares with an amount of 36.6 million USD with an IRR of 33.3%. this investment will generate about 3400 dollars per individual beneficiary.