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Iran War Impacts Sudan's Agriculture, Threatening Food Security
Farmers Scale Back Planting Amid Soaring Costs
Farmers in Sudan have been forced to cut back on summer crop planting due to the escalating costs of fuel and fertilizer, a direct consequence of the Iran war. One farmer expressed, 'At that price, we don't make a profit; you spend your whole profit on the diesel.' In the Jamouia farming scheme, fertilizer prices have surged by 67% from a year ago, while diesel prices have more than doubled.
According to United Nations data, Sudan relies on the Gulf for over half of its fertilizer imports. Furthermore, domestic fuel refining has ceased after three years of civil war, making the country fully reliant on imports. These higher costs are affecting not only staple crops like sorghum and millet but also export crops such as sesame.
Limited Government Support Exacerbates Hunger Crisis
Sudan's Agriculture Minister, Ismac Qureshi, has stated that officials are developing intervention strategies, and Fatma Yusuf, the agricultural production chief, noted that a new fund is being created with the Agriculture Bank to offer financing. Efforts are also underway to rehabilitate irrigation canals. However, in some areas, war-damaged irrigation systems remain unrepaired, and government support has been limited.
Sudan is already on the frontline of a severe food crisis. A UN-backed monitor reports that nearly 20 million people—more than 40% of the population—are facing crisis levels of hunger, with some areas at risk of famine. Sadiq El Amin, a senior UN food security analyst in Sudan, warns that if farmers reduce cultivated areas or fertilizer use, it could lead to an overall production decrease of no less than 40%, further deepening hunger beyond this season.
*Source: YouTube: Reuters (2026-05-25)*
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