South Darfur Imports Plants to Enhance Horticulture

Khartoum - Ministry of Agriculture in South Darfur affirmed its endeavor to modernize farming systems and shift from traditional methods to the modern ones in order to increase production and productivity besides increasing farming of citrus fruits so that the State can start exporting by 2012.

Minister of agriculture in South Darfur State Dr. Ibrahim Adam Ahmed Aldikhiri said that plants of figs, pears, apples and oranges have been imported besides the products of the Mediterranean. They were cultivated in the nursery of the ministry, confirming that these saplings are ready to be distributed to the farmers.  He affirmed that agriculture is the main activity for the people of the State. More than 80% practice it.

He affirmed that the plans of the Ministry of the year 2012 includes looking for partnerships that transform agriculture from the traditional system to the modern and advanced one besides increasing production, using machineries in farming, pest control, training of technicians, developing the sector of orchards and water irrigation programmes.

He also said that 80% of the population of the State depends on agriculture which represents the main supporter and backbone of the State economy, pointing out that South Darfur state is considered a source of grains and other agricultural products. Also it supports neighboring states, adding that the targeted agricultural plot in the state this year is about (8) million and 500 fedans and the surplus of production is about (30) thousand tons of crops.

Aldikhiri stated that the plan of this year targets cultivating of millet and new other crops between 5-10 fedans rain fed cotton east of jebel Mara besides cultivation of 2/000 fedans of wheat. Also people practice traditional farming. Crops such as sorghum, millet, beans, karkadi, and sesame are cultivated during the rainy season besides cultivation of winter crops like fruit and vegetable around valleys.

He added that the State is well-known for cultivating ground nuts, sesame, sorghum and oranges, pointing that there is intention to bring other crops from abroad to be cultivated in jebel Mara areas so as to support cash crops such as grapes, apples and olive.

On the achievements of the Ministry in the field of pest control, the minister of agriculture in south Darfur indicated that zazur bird was controlled in a ratio of 100%.

In the field of climate change and scarcity of rain, he said that the ministry used water irrigation technology and a number of reservoirs have been dug to assist the farmers in time of scarcity in order to secure their food and not to lose the whole crop. He said that some small reservoirs were built to contribute to the process of irrigation and traditional farming in some localities like (Tulos) besides digging of Shagar valley in an area of 16 kilo meters length which will contribute in provision of irrigation to 64 fedans entering operation this season, affirming that these new sources will contribute in increasing production and productivity.

Regarding seeds, the General Director of the Ministry Hafiz Abubakr affirmed that the ministry seeks to nationalize seeds, confirming funding of farmers through micro-finance funded by the agricultural bank and insurance purse where 25/000 families have been targeted and the farmers were divided into groups. He affirmed that the bank received a lot of money in the interest of the farmer.