African Development Bank and WFP Project Boosts Wheat Production by 50% in War-torn Sudan Amid Soaring Hunger

African Development Bank and WFP Project Boosts Wheat Production by 50% in War-torn Sudan Amid Soaring Hunger

An emergency wheat production project in Sudan, funded by the African Development Bank and executed by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), has significantly increased wheat production in the country by up to 70% in targeted project locations across five states within the past year. The project comes at a time when Sudan is facing a looming hunger catastrophe due to the ongoing conflict that has slowed down production in the past agricultural season.

The African Development Bank provided a total of $75 million to WFP for the implementation of the Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project over the course of two years. The project distributed climate-adapted wheat seeds and fertilizers to over 170,000 smallholder farmers in the five states during the 2023-2024 agricultural season, covering areas largely located in the relatively stable northern and eastern states of Sudan where conflict has not yet spread, as well as conflict-affected areas such as Gezira and White Nile states.

The yield of 645,000 metric tonnes of wheat this year accounted for 22 percent of the total wheat consumption needs of Sudan. On average, farmers reported a 44 percent increase in productivity per hectare as compared to the previous season. The project offered support and resources for these farmers to rebuild their livelihoods. In addition, 12 harvester machines were provided to farmers’ associations in River Nile and Northern states to enable them to harvest more efficiently and significantly reduce losses.

Overview of the African Development Bank and WFP Collaboration

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have collaborated on an emergency wheat production project in Sudan. The project was executed by WFP and financed by AfDB with a total of $75 million for the implementation of the Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project over the course of two years. The project aimed to increase wheat production in the country by up to 70% in targeted project locations across five states within the past year.

Objectives of the Partnership

The main objective of the partnership between AfDB and WFP was to boost wheat production in Sudan, which was facing a looming hunger catastrophe due to the ongoing conflict that had slowed down production in the past agricultural season. The project aimed to increase wheat production by providing certified climate-resilient wheat seed varieties and fertilizers to smallholder farmers in the target areas across the country. The project also aimed to provide food security to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and yielded 645,000 metric tonnes of wheat in 2024, accounting for 22% of the total wheat consumption needs of Sudan.

Strategies for Wheat Production Enhancement

The project was anchored on earlier game-changing wheat production initiatives under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation project implemented in 2018 to 2021. The project distributed climate-adapted wheat seeds and fertilizers to over 170,000 smallholder farmers in the five states during the 2023-2024 agricultural season, covering areas largely located in the relatively stable northern and eastern states of Sudan where conflict has not yet spread, as well as conflict-affected areas such as Gezira and White Nile states. On average, farmers reported a 44% increase in productivity per hectare as compared to the previous season.

To enable farmers to harvest more efficiently and significantly reduce losses, 12 harvester machines were provided to farmers’ associations in River Nile and Northern states. The project also offered support and resources to the 16,000 farmers who had been newly displaced by conflict in the last 13 months to rebuild their livelihoods.

In conclusion, the AfDB and WFP partnership has demonstrated that there are viable solutions to increasing domestic production to address the rising levels of hunger and acute malnutrition in the country. Investments in agricultural productivity in Sudan are critical to increasing crop yields and food availability in the face of devastating levels of violence and hunger. The project has brought hope to Sudan at a critical time when the country was facing a looming hunger catastrophe due to the ongoing conflict.

Context of Wheat Production in Sudan

Impact of Conflict on Agriculture

Sudan has been facing a severe hunger crisis due to ongoing conflicts that have disrupted the country’s agriculture industry. The conflict has led to a decrease in wheat production, which is a staple food in Sudan. The yield of wheat in the past agricultural season had slowed down due to the ongoing conflict, threatening millions of lives. The African Development Bank and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) recognized the need to address the rising levels of hunger and acute malnutrition in Sudan.

Challenges in Local Wheat Production

Sudan’s agriculture industry has been facing several challenges, including limited access to climate-adapted wheat seeds and fertilizers. Smallholder farmers have been unable to increase their productivity due to the unavailability of these resources. Additionally, the ongoing conflict has made it difficult for farmers to access markets, leading to a decrease in their income.

The Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project, financed by the African Development Bank and executed by WFP, has been a game-changer in addressing the challenges facing the agriculture industry in Sudan. The project provided certified climate-resilient wheat seed varieties and fertilizers to smallholder farmers in the target areas across the country, saving a number of lives under the prevailing challenges of conflict.

The project distributed climate-adapted wheat seeds and fertilizers to over 170,000 smallholder farmers in the five states during the 2023-2024 agricultural season, covering areas largely located in the relatively stable northern and eastern states of Sudan where conflict has not yet spread, as well as conflict-affected areas such as Gezira and White Nile states. The yield of 645,000 metric tonnes of wheat this year accounted for 22 percent of the total wheat consumption needs of Sudan. On average, farmers reported a 44 percent increase in productivity per hectare as compared to the previous season.

The project has demonstrated that there are viable solutions to increasing domestic production to address the rising levels of hunger and acute malnutrition in the country. The project has been a critical crisis response intervention to the internally displaced persons, with over 30% of the beneficiaries in the Northern State being IDPs.

Investments in agricultural productivity in Sudan are critical to increasing crop yields and food availability in the face of devastating levels of violence and hunger. The Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project is a clear example of how a longer-term development intervention can meet short-term emergency and humanitarian needs with forward-looking resilience building.

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Addressing Hunger in Sudan

Role of Wheat in Combating Food Insecurity

Sudan is currently facing a looming hunger catastrophe due to the ongoing conflict, which has slowed down production in the past agricultural season. To address this crisis, the African Development Bank and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) launched an emergency wheat production project in Sudan. The project was aimed at increasing wheat production in the country by up to 70% in targeted project locations across five states within the past year.

The project was financed by the African Development Bank, which provided a total of $75 million to WFP for the implementation of the Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project over the course of two years. The project distributed climate-adapted wheat seeds and fertilizers to over 170,000 smallholder farmers in the five states during the 2023-2024 agricultural season.

The yield of 645,000 metric tonnes of wheat this year accounted for 22 percent of the total wheat consumption needs of Sudan. The project has demonstrated that there are viable solutions to increasing domestic production to address the rising levels of hunger and acute malnutrition in the country. The project has brought hope to Sudan at a critical time when famine is on the horizon, threatening millions of lives.

Targeted Areas and Beneficiaries

The project covered areas largely located in the relatively stable northern and eastern states of Sudan where conflict has not yet spread, as well as conflict-affected areas such as Gezira and White Nile states. The project became the heart of production at this critical moment in Sudan. It provided food security, yielding 645,000 metric tonnes of wheat this year, and also became a critical crisis response intervention to the internally displaced persons (IDPs). More than 30% of the beneficiaries in the Northern State are IDPs.

The project was anchored on earlier game-changing wheat production initiatives under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation project implemented in 2018 to 2021, providing a clear example of how a longer-term development intervention can meet short-term emergency and humanitarian needs with forward-looking resilience building. The project offered support and resources for farmers to rebuild their livelihoods. In addition, 12 harvester machines were provided to farmers’ associations in River Nile and Northern states to enable them to harvest more efficiently and significantly reduce losses.

Investments in agricultural productivity in Sudan are critical to increasing crop yields and food availability in the face of devastating levels of violence and hunger. The project has mitigated some of the impacts of the war on wheat production and has demonstrated that agriculture offers great potential even under circumstances of active conflict.

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Project Outcomes and Impact

Improvements in Wheat Yield

The African Development Bank and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have executed an emergency wheat production project in Sudan, which has increased wheat production in the country by up to 70% in targeted project locations across five states within the past year. The project distributed climate-adapted wheat seeds and fertilizers to over 170,000 smallholder farmers in the five states during the 2023-2024 agricultural season, covering areas largely located in the relatively stable northern and eastern states of Sudan where conflict has not yet spread, as well as conflict-affected areas such as Gezira and White Nile states.

The yield of 645,000 metric tonnes of wheat this year accounted for 22 percent of the total wheat consumption needs of Sudan. On average, farmers reported a 44 percent increase in productivity per hectare as compared to the previous season. The project offered support and resources for farmers to rebuild their livelihoods. In addition, 12 harvester machines were provided to farmers’ associations in River Nile and Northern states to enable them to harvest more efficiently and significantly reduce losses.

Economic and Social Benefits

The improved wheat yield has had significant economic and social benefits for Sudan. This year alone, 22 percent of the national wheat demand was met through the project. The project’s impressive performance has demonstrated that there are viable solutions to increasing domestic production to address the rising levels of hunger and acute malnutrition in the country. The scaled-up delivery of certified climate resilient wheat seed varieties and fertilizers to smallholder farmers in the target areas across the country was timely and saved a number of lives under the prevailing challenges of conflict.

The project became a critical crisis response intervention to the internally displaced persons. More than 30% of the beneficiaries in the Northern State are IDPs. The project was anchored on earlier game-changing wheat production initiatives under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation project implemented in 2018 to 2021, providing a clear example of how a longer-term development intervention can meet short-term emergency and humanitarian needs with forward-looking resilience building.

Investments in agricultural productivity in Sudan are critical to increasing crop yields and food availability in the face of devastating levels of violence and hunger. The improved wheat yield has mitigated some of the impacts of the ongoing conflict in Sudan on wheat production. The project has brought hope to Sudan, which is facing a looming hunger catastrophe due to the ongoing conflict that has slowed down production in the past agricultural season.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Innovations in Farming Techniques

The African Development Bank and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have implemented an emergency wheat production project in Sudan. The project has increased wheat production in the country by up to 70% in targeted project locations across five states within the past year. The project provided support to over 170,000 smallholder farmers in the five states during the 2023-2024 agricultural season.

To increase productivity and efficiency, the project distributed climate-adapted wheat seeds and fertilizers to farmers. On average, farmers reported a 44% increase in productivity per hectare as compared to the previous season. The project also provided 12 harvester machines to farmers’ associations in River Nile and Northern states to enable them to harvest more efficiently and significantly reduce losses.

Capacity Building and Education

The African Development Bank and WFP project aimed to provide support and resources for farmers to rebuild their livelihoods. The project offered capacity-building and education programmes for farmers to improve their farming techniques and practices. The project was anchored on earlier game-changing wheat production initiatives under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation project implemented in 2018 to 2021, providing a clear example of how a longer-term development intervention can meet short-term emergency and humanitarian needs with forward-looking resilience building.

Investments in agricultural productivity in Sudan are critical to increasing crop yields and food availability in the face of devastating levels of violence and hunger. The African Development Bank and WFP project has demonstrated that there are viable solutions to increasing domestic production to address the rising levels of hunger and acute malnutrition in the country.

The project has brought a lot of hope to Sudan, which is facing a looming hunger catastrophe due to the ongoing conflict that has slowed down production in the past agricultural season. Given the great potential that agriculture offers even under circumstances of active conflict, this project has shown that sustainable agricultural practices can be implemented to increase food production and address the rising levels of hunger and acute malnutrition in the country.

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