Sudan: New Halfa farmers face 80% cost hike

By Suleiman Siri for Radio Dabanga

Farmers in the New Halfa Agricultural Scheme in Sudan’s Kassala state warn that production costs have surged by 80 per cent compared with last year, and have urged the New Halfa Agricultural Corporation to urgently set a guaranteed procurement price for wheat for the current season amid severe profitability concerns.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, an activist within the farmers associations, Massoud Abdelrahman Ali Abdelrahman cautioned that delays in announcing the benchmark price could leave farmers facing severe financial strain, particularly after taking on significant liabilities during the agricultural season.

He said many farmers  entered the season already committed to repaying debts owed to the New Halfa Agricultural Corporation, noting that some have been forced to issue blank cheques as guarantees to cover outstanding dues for inputs and services on non-subsidised land.

Abdelrahman also highlighted disparities in agricultural support programmes provided by international organisations, which he said have led to uneven financial obligations among farmers at the end of the season.

He explained that Mercy Corps provided agricultural support covering inputs for five feddans per holding, including seeds and fertilisers, as part of a programme aimed at boosting production.

“By contrast, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have offered a different model of support, limited to just one feddan out of a total of five per farmer,” he said.

He added that this type of support covers land preparation and inputs without imposing repayment obligations or additional financial burdens at the end of the season, leaving farmers to finance cultivation of the remaining four feddans themselves.

According to Abdelrahman, these differing schemes have resulted in unequal financial commitments, with some farmers bearing the full cost of cultivating the unsupported land, while others face no additional liabilities.

Fertiliser shortfall

In a related development, Abdelrahman revealed that around 16,000 sacks of DAP fertiliser, intended for distribution under the one-feddan support programme, have yet to reach beneficiaries, raising questions about their whereabouts and distribution mechanisms.

He noted that the areas allocated for support by the two organisations exceed the land actually cultivated within the scheme.

He added that in the previous season Mercy Corps required farmers to repay five per cent of net production in return for support, with preparation costs deducted at harvest, alongside additional fees and levies imposed without prior notice.

Abdelrahman questioned whether the agricultural authority would adopt an appropriate benchmark price this season, pointing out that technical departments already set input and preparation costs before the start of planting, meaning farmers entered the season fully aware of their expenses.

“The key question now is how farmers will be able to settle their debts at the end of the season if a fair procurement price is not set to cover production costs,” he said.

Rising costs

He called on the Farmers’ Union to support producers, stressing that farmers rely on continuity between successive agricultural seasons, using surplus from one harvest to finance the next.

He questioned whether the union has the capacity to stand by farmers so they do not bear the burden alone.

Comparing costs between the current and previous seasons, Abdelrahman said expenses have risen sharply.

Last season, land preparation cost approximately SDG 385,000, fertilisers SDG 560,000 (70,000 per sack for eight sacks), seeds SDG 250,000s, harvesting SDG 350,000, and administrative fees SDG 150,000, in addition to other levies. Total production costs stood at SDG 1.695 million, while the benchmark price per sack was set at SDG 135,000.

This season, preparation costs have risen to around SDG 580,000—an increase of SDG 195,000, or 50.6 per cent. Fertiliser costs have jumped to SDG 1.35 million (170,000 per sack for eight sacks), up by SDG 800,000, or 142.8 per cent.

Seed costs have reached SDG 850,000, while administrative fees have increased to SDG 250,000, up SDG 100,000 (66.7 per cent). Harvesting costs and other levies have yet to be determined.

Abdelrahman said total production costs for the current season—excluding harvesting and additional charges—have already reached SDG 3.04 million, representing an overall increase of around 79 per cent.

He concluded by asking what the guaranteed price per sack of wheat would be this season in light of the steep rise in production costs, stressing that a clear answer is essential to protect farmers and ensure the continuity of agricultural production.