Fuel crisis hobbles essential agriculture in Darfur and across Sudan

The ongoing national fuel crisis that is being experienced across Sudan has caused great damage to the summer farms, gardens and orchards in the states of Darfur especially in El Geneina, Kutum and other cities.

The lack of fuel for more than a week in El Geneina has led to stop the mills and reduction of their working hours and the dry out of the summer farms and gardens threatening the failure of production.

The crisis also has led to an unprecedented rise in internal transportation tariffs and grinding of flour.

Saraf Umra in North Darfur is also experiencing a fuel shortage and rise of its price in the black market causing transportation crisis.

El Gedaref

The harvest of sorghum in El Gedaref state has been completely stopped in because of the fuel crisis. The crisis also has led to the suspension of cultivation of vegetables on the banks of El Rahad River. A lack of diesel threatens the wheat harvest in the Northern State.

A farmer from El Gedaref told Radio Dabanga that the diesel crisis has undermined the preparations for the new agricultural season which was supposed to begin on April 15.

He said 40 per cent of the sorghum crop in the state's large projects has not been harvested because of the crisis.

He said that the agricultural operations have stopped and the high costs of transportation has led to a four-fold rise in the prices of vegetables in the state.

Northern State

Farmers have warned of the failure of wheat harvest in El Zorat project north of Dongola in the Northern State because of the diesel crisis.

A farmer from El Zorat Dabanga said the state government had allowed only one harvest machine to work on the 3,000-acre project.

He said that the harvest machine does not work continuously because of the diesel crisis and warned of the destruction of quantities of wheat by the problems of harvest.

He explained that Dongola has been experiencing continuous fuel crises and cooking gas for two months

West Kordofan

The water engines have stopped in the villages of localities of Gibeish and Odeiya in West Kordofan because of the lack of diesel.

Yesterday the price of a barrel of water in those areas amounted to SDG 120 (*$4.20).

A local leader told Radio Dabanga that the price of a tin of diesel has amounted to SDG1, 000 (*$35.50) as millions of goats are threatened with death due to lack of water.

Port Sudan

Most of Port Sudan districts have been experiencing a severe water crisis and power cuts for three days.

Journalist Osman Hashim told Radio Dabanga from Port Sudan that the districts of Meghniya, El Tagadom, El Matar, Deim Arab, Deim El Nur, Hadal and Salabona are suffering from water crisis.

He explained that the price of a joz of water from carts has risen to SDG 5 instead of SDG 3.

* Based on the indicative US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS)