Sudan is seeking to attract at least 1 billion US dollar (4,8 milliarder DKR) of capital for its agricultural sector from Arab and Asian investment groups, which are turning to Africa in search of new food supplies as their governments try to manage the impact of commodity price inflation.
The investment ministry is marketing a portfolio of 17 large-scale projects that would cover an area of 880.000 hectares, one of its officials said.
Abdalla Elhag Mohamed, Director of external relations at the ministry, said: – Everyone coming to Sudan is asking about agriculture, to the extent that we are struggling to cope.
The country sees agricultural development as a vital means of reducing its dependence on oil revenues.
The greatest interest has come from governments in the Middle East, where overseas agricultural projects are being seen as tools for ensuring food security following big increases in the prices of rice and wheat, staple foods for the region.
Abu Dhabi is preparing to launch a project to develop more than 28.000 hectares of Sudanese land and Egypt has said it is considering a venture in the giant Gezira scheme, one of Sudans few irrigation projects.
Saudi Arabia, which plans to set up large-scale agricultural projects in a number of countries, has also held talks with Khartoum.
The country is already growing wheat for Saudi Arabia, sorghum (durra) for camels in the United Arab Emirates and vine-ripened tomatoes for the Jordanian Army. Now the government is plowing 5 billion dollar into new agribusiness projects, many of them to produce food for export.
UN officials in Sudan say that the fact that they have to import some of the same commodities that Sudan not only produces but exports is a source of constant frustration.
– Sudan could be self-sufficient, said Kenro Oshidari, the director of the World Food Program in Sudan, adding: – It does have the potential to be the breadbasket of Africa.
Sudanese officials say that is precisely their goal, and they deny that Sudanese agribusiness is being built at the expense of their own people.
They reject accusations that they are neglecting far-flung areas like Darfur, much less waging a war of hunger and deprivation against them. Instead, Sudanese officials say they are simply trying to build up their economy.
Sudan is the largest country in Africa, nearly 2,6 million square kilometers. It has 84 million hectares of arable land, with less than a quarter being cultivated.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
