Above to above average agricultural season expected according to the mid-season agricultural assessment
Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Food Security Technical Secretariat (FSTS)—with support from the UN, humanitarian partners and donors—carried out its annual mid-season assessment for the 2021/2022 agricultural season between 5-16 September to identify the main factors affecting the agricultural situation in the production areas across 14 States in Sudan. According to the findings, the agricultural season is expected to be average to above average.
Five core teams visited the main summer crop producing areas in 14 states and cross-checked official estimates by conducting extensive field inspections, rapid case studies with sample farmers, and interviews with herders and traders.
The area expected to be planted for season 2021/2022 will be above average by about 6 per cent, and down compared to last year by 8 per cent.
At the national and sub-national level, the teams collected the latest available information and data on rainfall amounts and distribution, vegetation cover, crop protection campaigns, cereal reserve stocks and prices of the main crops and livestock. Periodic food security reports were reviewed, and the main socio-economic indicators were provided by the Central Bank of Sudan, the Agricultural Bank of Sudan, the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Strategic Reserve Corporation.
Rainfall data was obtained from the Sudan Meteorological Authority and from other sources in the field. Satellite imageries were used to review the evolution of vegetation cover over the course of the year.
COVID-19-related restrictions were relaxed in the first quarter of 2021 and based on various reports from FSTS and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there has been no significant direct impact of the waves of COVID-19 on the 2021/2022 summer agricultural season.
For more information and details, see the report here