Sudan Farmers Face Rising Costs From Middle East Conflict

Sudanese farmers already struggling after three years of domestic conflict are confronting higher costs for fuel and fertilizer following disruptions from the conflict in the Middle East. Omer al-Hassan returned to his land two years after being forced off by the war in Sudan.

He and other farmers told The Associated Press they are now bracing for an expensive planting season, with some reducing production or not planting at all. The conflict has affected supply chains for imports coming through the Gulf region, which supplies more than half of Sudan's sea-imported fertilizer.

Fuel prices have risen around 30 percent, pushing up food prices across the country. " He and 10 other farmers working his land, which also grows potatoes and tomatoes, reported spending two months clearing weed-choked fields before planting onions.

They stated they cannot cover agricultural costs without government support. This has forced cuts in production and rationing of fertilizer. Another farmer, Mohammed al-Badri, said he could afford to plant only half his farm. "The rest of it is nothing," he said.

A 50-kilogram bag of urea fertilizer now costs about $50, up from $11 during the same period last year, according to Abdoun Berqawi, a farmer in Gezira, one of the country's main food-producing regions. Fuel for tractors has increased from $2.50 to $8 per gallon.

Sorghum, millet and sesame, key staple crops in Sudan, are now at risk. Farmers already affected by fighting between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces face higher expenses for fertilizer, gasoline for equipment and diesel for irrigation pumps.

The increases have created difficulties for farmers preparing for the planting season that runs from June to November. Berqawi described it as a dangerous reality without government intervention. Merghany Omar, a farmer in al-Matammah in River Nile province, said those who took bank loans risk jail if poor yields prevent repayment.

He added that onion farming no longer covers its planting costs.

Humanitarian Situation Worsens The U.N.

World Food Program estimates 19 million people across Sudan face acute hunger, with many families on the brink of famine. Famine was declared last year in parts of Darfur and Kordofan. Melaku Yirga, Mercy Corps vice president for the Africa region, said the conflict has triggered a dangerous chain reaction at the wrong moment.

He visited the provinces of Kassala and Gedaref, both important food-producing areas. "People are buying less food, cutting or skipping meals, selling assets and taking greater risks just to survive," Yirga said. " In urban areas, vegetable and dairy prices have risen about 40 percent because of fuel price spikes.

Remote regions including Kordofan, White Nile, Darfur and Blue Nile are affected most severely because agricultural zones are poorly connected. Food assistance shipments to Sudan now travel 9,000 kilometers farther due to detours around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to the World Food Program.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have threatened shipping in the Red Sea area. Mubarak al-Nour, a farmer and former parliamentarian in Gedaref, said delays in obtaining fertilizer could cause farmers to miss the planting season. Some are switching to cheaper crops that require less or no fertilizer and scaling back on corn, sesame and other rain-fed crops.

Fuel shortages in some areas stem from warring parties blocking supplies, according to Mathilde Vu, an advocacy manager with the Norwegian Refugee Council. Local fuel markets have been bombed in recent months. Samy Guessabi, country director for Action Against Hunger in Sudan, noted the situation is compounded by currency depreciation.

Agriculture ministry officials did not immediately respond to requests for information on addressing the crisis.