“Everything has changed since the measures taken against the coronavirus, trade is no longer taking place, everyone has to stay in their own area.

We’re selling the cattle at half price”, Amadou Aliou Sow, a Fulani herders said.

Traditionally, pastoralists move with their livestock from north to south, through Louga, and further afield when the pastures dry up, before returning north with summer rains.

He said COVID-19 restrictive measures have been an enormous challenger for herders in the country.

To make matters worse, the late and erratic rains of recent years have been blamed for the poor quality of pastures, complicating the lives of herders.