South Kordofan, June 26(Darfur 24)
The current agricultural season in South Kordofan State is witnessing complex and intertwined conditions, given the country’s security and economic challenges, as well as the effects of climate change, which have clearly affected rainfall.
Farmer Mohamed Abkar told Darfur 24 that the cultivated area this season will only exceed 20,000 to 30,000 acres, compared to the total arable area of approximately one million acres in the locality.
He explained that cultivation this year has been concentrated in the Kartala administrative unit, specifically in its southern areas.
He pointed out that farmers have been unable to reach other areas due to insecurity, especially after the Rapid Support Forces took control of Habila, which led to large areas being excluded from agricultural production.
Habila residents rely heavily on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood, and signs of this season’s failure are feasible.
Mohamed Abkar said that the current season is completely devoid of any form of bank financing, not only in Habila but also in the neighboring Delami locality.
He pointed out that farmers are forced to purchase a barrel of fuel for 1.2 million Sudanese pounds, while a sack of sorghum used for seed costs around 100,000 Sudanese pounds, and a quintal of sesame costs 90,000 Sudanese pounds. This represents a financial burden beyond the capacity of most farmers.
Abkar reported other challenges facing the agricultural season, including the spread of agricultural pests such as locusts and whiteflies, as well as parasitic weeds such as “boda,” amidst the lack of adequate pesticides and the region’s lack of effective efforts to combat these threats.
For his part, Al-Toum Al-Bureir, a farmer from Al-Tadamon locality, explained to Darfur 24 that the planned area for cultivation amounts to approximately 840,000 acres, according to the Land Administration, with additional areas being cultivated locally or traditionally without legal regulation.
Al-Bureir expects that a quarter of the planned area will be cultivated due to factors similar to those facing Habila locality, most notably the deteriorating security situation in Abu Jubeiha locality, the direct negative effects of the ongoing war in the country, and the shortage of fuel and agricultural financing.
Al-Bureir indicated that the lack of institutional support and technical and agricultural guidance is a major factor in the decline in productivity and the deterioration of agricultural quality.
He explained that the Agricultural Bank branch was the only entity that provided limited support, as funding was limited to providing diesel at commercial prices of up to one million Egyptian pounds, placing an additional burden on farmers.
Al-Burair called on the government and organizations working in the agricultural sector to support farmers with improved seeds, provide microfinance and agricultural inputs at reasonable prices, enhance agricultural guidance, provide pest control teams, introduce drought-resistant crops, and activate the role of civil society organizations in agricultural production improvement programs.