Farmers protest negligence in Sudan’s agricultural scheme

Hundreds of farmers in Sudan’s El Gezira and El Managil agricultural scheme protested in front of the Agricultural Bank of El Hosh against the non-delivery of fertilisers and herbicides on Monday.

The farmers from El Awsat, El Hosh and El Janoubi sections of El Gezira and El Managel Scheme gathered in front of the Agricultural Bank of a branch of El Hosh. They demanded the delivery of fertilisers, herbicides and phosphorus for agriculture, for which they completed all procedures and handed checks to the guarantors.

Yesterday, a farmer from El Hosh told Radio Dabanga that the director of the bank’s branch completed the procedures for pesticides and fertilisers already before the month of Ramadan, but they have not received them so far.

Farmers denied statements by the Undersecretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Badreldin El Sheikh, claiming that all agricultural inputs have been handed to the farmers.

Farmers in the scheme, between the Blue and White Niles south of Khartoum, complained about the low focused price of wheat in March. The farmers’ association said that the recent economic measures and increase of fuel prices are threatening the current and coming agricultural season. A number of farmers had to stop using irrigation pumps and harvesting devices because of soaring fuel prices.

In late 2014, President Omar Al Bashir described the Scheme as a burden on the country’s budget. Early September 2015, the Agriculture Ministry amended the El Gezira Scheme Act, with amendments aimed at transferring land ownership to the private sector and foreign investors.