Sudan farming season stricken by drought

The union of farmers in El Gezira and Managil states reported that a water crisis has struck large areas of sorghum crops. The farmers in the southeastern part of Sudan also complain about poor funding, and expired seeds. Hasabo Ibrahim, a member of a farmers’ union at El Huda, said they are suffering from an acute water shortage that affected sorghum crops in the current season. “Rats have eaten the peanuts, owing to the lack of irrigation water,” he told Radio Dabanga. “The current season will be worse than the last one because of the disturbing factors in the beginning of the season.” Ibrahim added that the farmers do not have any entity or service to adress their complaints to. At least five million Sudanese will probably face varied levels of acute food insecurity until September. Expected poor rainfall and another bad main harvest will most likely worsen the situation. The number and severity of the food-insecure population in Sudan may increase considerably in 2015, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) reported in its latest monthly bulletin. The June-September forecast for Sudan projects average to below-average rainfall in the southern part of the country. File photo: During the dry season livestock such as cattle, sheep and goats are permitted to graze the stalks of harvested sorghum compartment in the Gezira scheme. (UNEP) Related: Drought, instability worsen food insecurity in Sudan (2 July 2014) Sudan’s El Gezira farmers refuse to plant groundnuts (26 May 2014)