Sudan’s farmers are warning that surging fuel and fertiliser costs are threatening this year’s planting season and deepening an already severe hunger crisis.
The price increases, compounded by the country’s ongoing civil war, are disrupting farming across major agricultural regions and damaging already fragile supply chains.
Staple crops such as sorghum and millet face likely production declines, while key export goods including sesame, peanuts and gum arabic are also under pressure.
The United Nations says more than 19 million people in Sudan are already experiencing crisis levels of hunger, with famine risks rising.
Sudan remains dependent on imported fertiliser and fuel, leaving farmers exposed to global price shocks amid domestic instability.
The war between General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces has displaced farming communities and left large areas of farmland underused or abandoned.
Diesel costs for irrigation have more than doubled in a year, while fertiliser prices continue to climb, making cultivation increasingly unaffordable.
In many areas, farmers say they are unable to cover production costs, with some reporting that fuel expenses wipe out potential harvest profits.
A UN food security analyst has warned that agricultural output could fall significantly if current conditions persist, further worsening food insecurity nationwide.
