Farmers in East Darfur are grappling with major challenges, including insufficient funding from banks, a shortage of improved seeds, limitations in agricultural extension equipment, and the impact of agricultural pests.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, agricultural engineer Ahmed Mohammed Abu Kalam highlighted these issues, noting the recent damage to millet and corn crops due to locust infestations.
He explained that the ongoing war has disrupted the transportation of pesticides from Khartoum, affecting the ministry’s pest control efforts. Abu Kalam emphasized the crucial role of financing and improved seeds in boosting productivity for farms in East Darfur.
Abu Kalam, a first-level employee at the Ministry of Agriculture, acknowledged the ministry’s limitations in extension equipment, attributing it to the department’s capacity and budget constraints.
He urged farmers to adopt technical packages encompassing various agricultural stages, including land preparation, cleaning, spacing, and harvesting.
In East Darfur State, with an estimated area of 13 million acres, only approximately 7 million acres are utilized for agriculture, according to the agricultural expert. However, the cultivated area for the current season has further decreased, dwindling to just five acres, as highlighted by the official.