Grazing damages crops in El Salam, South Darfur

Armed herders drove their livestock onto farmlands in El Salam locality in South Darfur last week.

“Vast tracts of cultivated land were damaged and large quantities of crops destroyed,” a farmer reported to Radio Dabanga from Abu Ajoura village, south of Nyala, capital of South Darfur.

He said that the grazing destroyed farms in the area of Karal, Tombasko, Abyad, Dameerak, Abu Jazu, Dembo Dembo, Meiro, Gaza Jamat, Luweia, and Keru Keru.

“The herders beat and whip the farmers, and threatened to kill them if they try to remove the livestock from their lands,” he added.

The farmers have reported the attacks to the South Darfur authorities, to no avail.

Farmers in the area east of Nyala reported the loss of thousands of Sudanese pounds after their crops were destroyed by grazing last week.

Because of the late and less than average rainfall in various parts of Sudan, there is less and poorer quality pasture available. As a result, herders increasingly drive their livestock onto cultivated farms.

The livestock is being migrated southward towards agricultural land earlier than usual, the Famine Early Warning Systems (FEWS Net) reported in September.