SUDAN – Sudan’s Agriculture Minister, Omer Al-Beshri, announced on August 10 that modern irrigation companies must allocate 10% of their land to sorghum production to combat a deepening food crisis caused by the ongoing conflict.
This directive follows the United Nations’ declaration of famine in North Darfur’s displaced persons camp on August 1, signaling a growing risk of widespread hunger as the conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) enters its fifth month.
Minister Al-Beshri emphasized the urgency of the situation, citing RSF incursions into key agricultural areas and the disruption of vital supply chains.
“The RSF’s encroachment on production areas and the threat to the season necessitates urgent action,” Al-Beshri stated in a government release, which also urged regional authorities to ensure the availability of seeds for the mandatory sorghum planting.
The ongoing conflict has severely impacted agriculture in Sudan’s breadbasket regions, particularly Al Jazirah and Sennar states, where the RSF has seized control of most territories.
The resulting insecurity, looting of machinery, and fuel shortages have halted farming operations. Ibrahim Mustafa, the governor of the Al Jazirah irrigation project, reported a drastic reduction in cultivated land, from the initially targeted 1.1 million acres to just 505,000 acres this season.
Mustafa accused the RSF of destroying critical irrigation infrastructure and looting seeds and fertilizers.
The situation is equally dire in the White Nile state, another key agricultural area, where only 1.3 million acres have been cultivated out of the planned 3.3 million, according to Yasir Mukhtar, a regional agriculture ministry representative.
The Al Jazirah and Al Manaqil Farmers Alliance reported that agricultural production in Sudan’s largest irrigated agricultural scheme has plummeted by 72% compared to the previous season.
The conflict has left the Al Jazirah project largely under RSF control, with only 22% of the usual one million acres cultivated in the Al Manaqil sections. The cultivated area for key crops like cotton, corn, peanuts, and vegetables has dropped sharply from 123,699 acres to just 27,652 acres.
In the RSF-controlled Al Musallamiya section, the situation is even more critical, with cultivation reduced to just 6% of the previous acreage.
The alliance warned of an impending famine, citing widespread destruction of infrastructure, looting of resources, and the displacement of over 90% of the project’s 5 million-strong workforce.
The conflict’s impact on agricultural activities has led to a sharp increase in commodity prices in Al Manaqil, with staple foods like corn, beans, and sugar more than doubling in cost in recent months.
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