Editing Economy of Niger (section)

===Economic sectors===


====Agriculture====
{{Main|Agriculture in Niger}}
[[File:Niger Safari.jpg|thumb|The fertile south of Niger near the [[Niger River]].]]
[[Image:Niger rice map and season.png|thumb|right|200px|Map and growing season for the Nigerien  [[Rice]] crop. Chart shows [[Normalized Difference Vegetation Index]] against Long Rains Dry Season (July – Feb), measuring normal years crop growth in the major Rice producing areas of Niger.<ref name="pecad.fas.usda.gov">[http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/chartview.cfm?ftypeid=4&fattributeid=1&stypeid=4&sattributeid=15&cntryid=NG&startdate=2008%2D07%2D01%2000%3A00%3A00%2E0&d=37361&regionid=wafrica www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/]{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>]]
The agricultural economy is based largely upon internal markets, [[subsistence agriculture]], and the export of raw commodities: foodstuffs and cattle to neighbors. Foreign exchange earnings from livestock, although difficult to quantify, are considered the second source of export revenue behind mining and oil exports. Actual exports far exceed official statistics, which often fail to detect large herds of animals informally crossing into Nigeria. Some hides and skins are exported, and some are transformed into handicrafts.
<ref name=ussd2009>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5474.htm Background Notes for Niger: January 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524232128/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5474.htm |date=2019-05-24 }} Bureau of African Affairs, United States State Department. Retrieved 26 February 2009. Portions of the "Economy" section are here used verbatim, as this document is in the public domain.</ref>

Niger's agricultural and livestock sectors are the mainstay of all but 18% of the population.<ref name=ussd2009 /> 14% of Niger's GDP is generated by livestock production (camels, goats, sheep and cattle), said to support 29% of the population. Thus 53% of the population is actively involved in crop production.<ref name=ussd2009 /> The 15% of Niger's land that is arable is found mainly along its southern border with Nigeria.

[[File:Niger Farm sand tv 16aug05.jpg|thumb|Drought has turned farmland into useless soil. A farmer examines the soil in drought-stricken Niger during the 2005 famine.]]
In these areas, [[Pearl millet]], [[sorghum]], and [[cassava]] are the principal rain-fed subsistence crops. Irrigated rice for internal consumption is grown in parts of the [[Niger River]] valley in the west. While expensive, it has, since the devaluation of the CFA franc, sold for below the price of imported rice, encouraging additional production. [[Cowpea]]s and onions are grown for commercial export, as are small quantities of garlic, [[capsicum|peppers]], potatoes, and wheat. Oasis farming in small patches of the north of the country produces onions, [[Phoenix dactylifera|dates]], and some market vegetables for export.<ref name=ussd2009 />

But for the most part, rural residents engaged in crop tending are clustered in the south centre and south west of the nation, in those areas (the [[Sahel]]) which can expect to receive between {{convert|300|and|600|mm|0|abbr=on}} of rainfall annually. A small area in the southern tip of the nation, surrounding [[Gaya, Niger|Gaya]] can expect to receive {{convert|700|to|900|mm|0|abbr=on}} or rainfall. Northern areas which support crops, such as the southern portions of the [[Aïr Massif]] and the [[Kaouar oasis]], rely upon oases and a slight increase in rainfall due to mountain effects. Large portions of the northwest and far east of the nation, while within the Sahara desert, see just enough seasonal rainfall to support semi-nomadic animal husbandry. The populations of these areas, mostly [[Tuareg people|Tuareg]], [[Wodaabe]]&nbsp;– [[Fula people|Fula]], and [[Toubou]], travel south (a process called [[transhumance]]) to pasture and sell animals in the dry season, north into the Sahara in the brief rainy season.<ref name="Decalo1997">{{Cite book
|last=Decalo
|first=Samuel
|title=Historical Dictionary of the Niger (3rd ed.)
|publisher=Scarecrow Press|location=Boston & Folkestone
|year=1997
|isbn=0-8108-3136-8
}}</ref>

Rainfall varies and when it is insufficient, Niger has difficulty feeding its population and must rely on grain purchases and food aid to meet food requirements.<ref name=ussd2009 /> Rains, as in much of the Sahel, have been marked by annual variability. This has been especially true in the 20th century, with the [[Sahel drought|most severe drought on record]] beginning in the late 1960s and lasting, with one break, well into the 1980s. The long-term effect of this, especially to pastoralist populations, remains in the 21st century, with those communities which rely upon cattle, sheep, and camels husbandry losing entire herds more than once during this period. Recent rains remain variable. For instance, the rains in 2000 were not good, while those in 2001 were plentiful and well distributed.

Soils that have become degraded, for example by intensive cereal production, cover 50 per cent of Niger's land. Laterite soils have a high clay content, which means they have higher [[Cation Exchange Capacity]] and water-holding capacity than sandy soils. If laterite soils become degraded, a hard crust can form on the surface, which hinders water infiltration and the emergence of seedlings. It is possible to rehabilitate such soils, using a system called the [[Bioreclamation of Degraded Lands]].<ref name="auto1">[http://www.icrisat.org/impacts/impact-stories/Converting-degraded-soils-into-productive-land.pdf''Bio-reclamation&nbsp;– Converting degraded lateritic soils into productive land''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726233807/http://www.icrisat.org/impacts/impact-stories/Converting-degraded-soils-into-productive-land.pdf |date=2018-07-26 }}, ''Rural'' 21, March 2013.</ref>

This involves using indigenous water-harvesting methods (such as planting pits and trenches), applying animal and plant residues, and planting high-value fruit trees and indigenous vegetable crops that are tolerant of drought conditions. The [[International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics]] ([[ICRISAT]]) has employed this system to rehabilitate degraded laterite soils in Niger and increase [[smallholding|smallholder]] farmers' incomes. Trials have demonstrated that a {{convert|200|m2|0|abbr=on}} plot can yield an income of around US$100, which is what men traditionally earn from millet production per hectare (10000m<sup>2</sup>). As women are often given degraded soils, using this practice has helped to improve livelihoods for women in Niger.<ref name="auto1"/>

The [[Kandadji Dam]] on the Niger River, whose construction started in August 2008, is expected to improve agricultural production in the [[Tillaberi Department]] by providing water for the irrigation of 6,000 hectares initially and of 45,000 hectares by 2034.<ref>[http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Environmental-and-Social-Assessments/ADF-BD-IF-2008-51-EN-NIGER-KANDADJI-ECOSYSTEMS-REGENERATION-DETAILED-POPULATION-RESETTLEMENT-PLAN.PDF "Kandadji" Ecosystems Regeneration and Niger Valley Development Programme (KERNVDP), Detailed Population Resettlement Plan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010190439/https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Environmental-and-Social-Assessments/ADF-BD-IF-2008-51-EN-NIGER-KANDADJI-ECOSYSTEMS-REGENERATION-DETAILED-POPULATION-RESETTLEMENT-PLAN.PDF |date=2017-10-10 }}, Executive Summary, Republic of Niger, Prime Minister's Office, High Commission for Niger Valley / African Development Bank, February 2008, p. 3-4.</ref>

====Drought and food crisis====
{{Main|Sahel drought|2005–06 Niger food crisis|2010 Sahel drought}}
As one of the Sahelian nations in West Africa, Niger has faced several droughts which led to food shortages and, in some cases, famines since its independence in 1963. This includes a series of droughts in the 1970s and 1980s and more recently in 2005–2006 and again in 2010. The existence of widespread famine in 2005–2006 was debated by the government of Niger as well some local NGOs.<ref>[http://www.eden-foundation.org/project/articles_niger_crisis_2005.html When Endemic Malnutrition is Labeled as Famine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727084935/http://www.eden-foundation.org/project/articles_niger_crisis_2005.html |date=2018-07-27 }}. Eden Foundation (Sweden), May 2006.</ref>

====Mining====
{{Main|Oil and mining industry of Niger|Coal mining in Niger}}
The Niger mining industry is the main source of national exports, of which uranium is the largest export. Niger has been a uranium exporter since the 1960s and has had substantial export earnings and rapid economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s. The persistent [[uranium]] price slump has brought lower revenues for Niger's uranium sector, although it still provides 72% of national export proceeds. When the uranium-led boom ended in the early 1980s the economy stagnated, and new investment since then has been limited. Niger's two uranium mines—[[SOMAIR]]'s open pit mine and [[COMINAK]]'s underground mine—are owned by a French-led consortium and operated by French company [[Orano]].<ref name="reuters.com">{{cite news|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/areva-niger-idUKL6N0OC2TB20140526|title=UPDATE 3-Areva signs uranium deal with Niger, delays new mine|work=Reuters|access-date=7 February 2015|archive-date=3 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403215858/https://uk.reuters.com/article/areva-niger-idUKL6N0OC2TB20140526|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="dw.de">{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.de/niger-sets-new-terms-in-uranium-ore-deal-with-areva/a-17667618|title=Niger sets new terms in uranium ore deal with Areva|work=DW.DE|access-date=7 February 2015|archive-date=20 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120193015/http://www.dw.de/niger-sets-new-terms-in-uranium-ore-deal-with-areva/a-17667618|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{As of|2007}}, many licences have been sold to other companies from countries such as India, China, Canada and Australia in order to exploit new deposits. In 2013, the government of Niger sought to increase its uranium revenue by subjecting the two mining companies to a 2006 Mining Law. The government argued that the application of the new law will balance an otherwise unfavorable partnership between the government and [[Areva]]. The company resisted the application of the new law that it feared would jeopardize the financial health of the companies, citing declining market uranium prices and unfavorable market conditions. In 2014, following nearly a year long negotiation with the government of Niger, Areva agreed to the application of 2006 Mining Law of Niger, which would increase the government's uranium revenues from 5 to 12%.<ref name="reuters.com" /><ref name="dw.de" />{{update inline|date=January 2019}}

[[File:Niger millet Koremairwa 1214.jpg|thumb|A farmer collecting [[millet]] in [[Koré Maïroua|Koremairwa]] village in the [[Dosso (department)|Dosso]] department.]]
In addition to uranium, exploitable deposits of gold are known to exist in Niger in the region between the Niger River and the border with Burkina Faso. In 2004, the first Nigerien gold ingot was produced from the [[Samira Hill Gold Mine]], in [[Tera Department]]. The [[Samira Hill Gold Mine]] thus became the first commercial gold production in the country. The reserves at the location were estimated at 10,073,626 tons at an average grade of {{convert|2.21|g|oz}} per ton from which {{convert|19,200|kg|lb}} will be recovered over a six-year mine life. Other gold deposits are believed to be in nearby areas known as the "Samira Horizon", which is located between [[Gotheye]] and [[Ouallam]].<ref>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5474.htm Background Note:Niger] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524232128/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5474.htm |date=2019-05-24 }}, United States State Department, Bureau of Public Affairs: Electronic Information and Publications Office. Bureau of African Affairs. September 2008</ref>

SONICHAR (Société Nigerienne de Charbon) in [[Tchirozerine]] (north of [[Agadez]]) extracts coal from an open pit and fuels an electricity generating plant that supplies energy to the uranium mines. Based on 2012 reports by the government of Niger, 246016 tons of coal were extracted by SONICHAR in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stat-niger.org/statistique/file/Annuaires_Statistiques/INS_2012/AS2007-2011INDUSTRIEEXT.pdf|title=– Coal Production and Utilization 2007–2011 Report P218|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2017-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010190440/http://www.stat-niger.org/statistique/file/Annuaires_Statistiques/INS_2012/AS2007-2011INDUSTRIEEXT.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> There are additional coal deposits to the south and west that are of a higher quality and may be exploitable. Substantial deposits of [[phosphates]], coal, [[Iron ore|iron]], [[limestone]], and [[gypsum]] have also been found in Niger.

====Oil====
{{Main|Oil and mining industry of Niger|Petroleum industry in Niger}}
[[File:Niger 2008 oilrig.jpg|thumb|A test [[oil well]] in the [[Tenere Desert]], January 2008]]
The history of oil prospecting and discovery goes back to the independence era with the first discovery of the Tintouma oil field in [[Madama]] in 1975.<ref name="oilhistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.lesahel.org/index.php/component/k2/item/1651-le-petrole-nigerien--dagadem-a-la-soraz |title=Le Petrole Nigerien: D'Agadem a la Soraz |access-date=2014-06-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714120718/http://www.lesahel.org/index.php/component/k2/item/1651-le-petrole-nigerien--dagadem-a-la-soraz |archive-date=14 July 2014 |df=dmy-all |language=fr }}</ref> The Agadem basin in particular has attracted much attention since 1970 with Texaco and then Esso prospecting in the basin until 1980. Exploration permits on the same basin were held successively by [[Elf Aquitaine]] (1980–1985), [[Esso]]-Elf (1985–1998), Esso (1998–2002), and Esso-[[Petronas]] (2002–2006). While the reserves were estimated at 324 million barrels for oil and 10 billion m<sup>3</sup> for gas, Esso-Petronas relinquished the permit because it deemed the quantities too small for production.<ref name="oilhistory" />

With the sudden increase in oil price by 2008, this assessment was no longer true; consequently, the government transferred the Agadem block rights to [[CNPC]]. Niger announced that in exchange for the US$5&nbsp;billion investment, the Chinese company would build wells, 11 of which would open by 2012, a {{convert|20000|oilbbl/d|m3/d|adj=on}} [[SORAZ]] refinery near [[Zinder]], and a pipeline out of the nation. The government estimates the area has reserves of {{convert|324|Moilbbl|m3}}, and is seeking further oil in the [[Tenere Desert]] and near [[Bilma]]. Niger began producing its first barrels of oil in 2011.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130124233237/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hQcHDblgbEGuRpUaW4jhV6n_e5hw?docId=CNG.f2c02c700bcf33947db7403f3c93a92b.81 As refinery opens, Niger joins club of oil producers], Agence France-Presse. 28 November 2011.</ref> Government revenue from this is over $100 million per year, about 5% of Niger's GDP, and slightly higher than from the uranium extraction industry.<ref name=schritt-2018>{{cite journal |title=Crude Moves: Oil, Power and Politics in Niger |last1=Schritt |first1=Jannik |last2=Schareika |first2=Nikolaus |journal=Africa Spectrum |volume=53 |issue=2 |year=2018 |pages=65–89 |doi=10.1177/000203971805300204 |doi-access=free }}</ref>