The rainy season lasts from July to October. While the north receives around 350 mm of rainfall the south has an annual precipitation of about 1525 mm. Average temperature on the coast is 22 degrees celsius in January and 28 degrees in July. Senegal's population of nearly 8.4 million is composed of diverse ethnic groups. The predomonant groups are the Wolof, then the Fulani followed by the Tukulor while the Sere, Diola and Malinke represent the smaller ethnic groups.
Peanuts are the country's main export crop, while the principal crops are millet, sorghum and maize.
However, attempts are being made to diversify agriculture, including the expansion of rice and tomato cultivation, to achieve self-sufficiency in food. Livestock includes 2.8 million cattle, 3.6 million sheep, 2.4 million goats and 19 million poultry. For the third consecutive year, the region of Fatick has experienced below normal crop yields. Reserves are non-existent and people are hungry. While no deaths have been reported, the population shows signs of mal-nutrition and lacking in energy .