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Sudan Tribune

Plural news and views on Sudan

Sudan predicts bumper grain harvest, exceeding domestic needs

A farmer from Gonofa village, White Nile State, stands in his sorghum field, anticipating a successful harvest FAO photo

A farmer from Gonofa village, White Nile State, stands in his sorghum field, anticipating a successful harvest (FAO photo)

November 3, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan expects to produce 7 million tonnes of sorghum and millet this year, exceeding domestic needs, the country’s agriculture minister said on Sunday.

Abu Bakr al-Bishri said the anticipated harvest, due at the end of this year and early next year, would be one of the most successful in the country’s history.

Sudan needs between 5.5 and 6 million tonnes of grain to cover its food needs, according to the United Nations.

“We expect to achieve a high productivity of sorghum and millet of about 7 million tonnes in the current summer season,” Bishri said in a statement released by the Sovereign Council.

He added that Sudan’s needs for sorghum and millet do not exceed 5 million tonnes, which will contribute to providing a strategic stock that the state will purchase from farmers.

Sudan’s grain production in 2023 was about 4.1 million tonnes, including 3 million tonnes of sorghum and 683,000 tonnes of millet, a 46% decrease from 2022, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Bishri briefed Ibrahim Jaber, a member of the Sovereign Council and assistant army commander, on the indicators of the success of the summer agricultural season, which usually begins in July each year.

This year’s summer agricultural season is considered one of the most successful in Sudan, with 13.9 million acres cultivated, including 7 million acres of sorghum, which is the staple food of the majority of Sudanese.

Bishri said that the cultivation of this season “confirms the falsehood of rumors that claim there is a threat of famine in Sudan.”

On August 1, the United Nations announced a famine in the Zamzam camp near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, which shelters half a million displaced people, amid fears of it occurring in 13 other hunger hotspots.

Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim announced in a statement the government’s interest in the success of the upcoming winter agricultural season, as it is working to provide all the needs and production inputs for the cultivation of 815,000 acres of wheat and 750,000 acres of other crops.

During a meeting in which the Minister of Agriculture, the Director of the Agricultural Bank, and the Governor of the Gezira Project participated, Gibril was reassured of the completion of the arrangements for the winter season, as the cultivation of the targeted areas in Gezira, the Nile River, the Northern State, and irrigated projects was confirmed.

The meeting stressed the provision of wheat crop needs of DAP and urea fertilizers.

Agricultural activities have stopped in the areas under the control of the Rapid Support Forces in Gezira and Sennar, due to the looting of agricultural machinery, seeds, and fertilizers, in addition to the lack of security, fuel scarcity, and the high costs of agricultural operations in light of high unemployment rates.