Farmers in Sudan’s El Gezira won’t plant cotton

Farmers in El Gezira state intend to refrain from planting cotton and some other crops during the coming rainy season. Workers dismissed from El Gezira and El Managil agricultural schemes have not received their entitlements over a period of seven years. Members of El Gezira and El Managil Farmers Association plan to organise mass mobilisation meetings in the northern section of El Gezira state next month, in order to convince farmers to refrain from planting cotton and some other crops, Ibrahim Mohyeldin, a member of the Northern Section Alliance told Radio Dabanga. “The costs of preparing land have risen considerably, at a time when the local markets are witnessing a significant rise in prices of various agricultural crops, especially sorghum, millet, wheat, and okra. As the stores of the farmers have become empty, as always at the time of the year, they now have to buy sorghum from the market. This means that they cannot meet the costs in preparation of their farmlands for the rainy season beginning next June.” Mohyeldin said that the preparation per acre costs SDG120 ($21). “Half of this amount is consumed by ploughing. A large sack (about 100kg) of fertilizer nowadays costs about SDG250 ($44).” The farmer explained that the lack of remunerative crop prices has created a recession. “The selling prices of onions, for example, have become equivalent to the production costs. “ The spokesman for the National Farmers Association, Abdel Salam Mohamed Saleh, confirmed to Radio Dabanga that the prices of agricultural products have become too expensive, causing farmers to live in harsh conditions due to poverty and low productivity.  Financial entitlements Workers dismissed from El Gezira and El Managil agricultural schemes in El Gezira State are complaining about the non-payment of their entitlements over a period of seven years. “The administration of El Gezira Scheme fired 3,700 workers because of a reorganisation of the scheme that was planned to be realised in 2009. We have not received our financial entitlements until now,” one of the dismissed workers told Radio Dabanga. “We have filed official complaints against the administration. However it seems that no one looked into our case or took stepts to treat us fairly.” The worker noted that they are family heads facing huge financial difficulties, and appealed to human rights organisations to adopt their cause. File photo: Cotton harvest at El Gezira (news.sudanvisiondaily.com) Related:’Corrupt’ Khartoum staff arrested; US dollar rises to 9.3 Sudanese Pounds (25 April 2014) Farmers protest factory, police demands rights in Sudan’s White Nile (25 April 2014)