KHARTOUM – OnePress
Experts and economic observers have warned of serious repercussions for Sudan’s agricultural sector this season, with a severe shortage of fertilizers and basic agricultural inputs, raising growing concerns about food security and the possibility of a large-scale decline in agricultural production.
The crisis comes at a time when global supply chains are facing increasing challenges, with disruptions to shipping and international trade, including those associated with vital sea lanes, delaying shipments of fertilizer to Sudanese markets.
At home, agricultural workers point out that administrative procedures and import complications have also slowed the arrival of agricultural inputs to producers, although they are urgently needed as the agricultural season begins in a number of states.
Experts believe that the continued shortage of fertilizers may negatively affect the productivity of strategic crops, leading to higher production costs and lower agricultural revenues, adding to the economic pressures facing the country.
Economic estimates also warned that any large-scale failure of the agricultural season could dent the food security crisis and increase the suffering of the most vulnerable, especially in areas affected by conflict and displacement, where millions of people rely on local agricultural production as their main source of food and income.
The experts call on the government and concerned authorities to take urgent measures to secure the supply of fertilizers and facilitate the import and transport operations, to avoid repercussions that may extend to the national economy and humanitarian conditions in the coming months.