We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site without changing your cookie settings, you agree that you are happy to accept our privacy policy and for us to access our cookies on your device.
Transcript/ScriptUSAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: SUDAN FARMING GROWTH (TV/R)
HEADLINE: Could Sudan Really Become a Food Provider for the Region as WFP Claims?
TEASER: Experts say UN World Food Program claims the private sector
PUBLISHED: Thursday, 03/16/2023 at
BYLINE: Henry Wilkins
DATELINE: Khartoum, SUDAN
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Wilkins
VIDEO EDITOR: Henry Wilkins
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, Sharon Shahid, pcd
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA, Zoom, Twitter
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO_X_
TRT:
VID APPROVED BY:
EDITOR NOTES: There is a radio piece to accompany this))
((INTRO))
[[In a February visit to Sudan, U.N. World Food Program head David Beasley said 75% of the country's farmland was unused, and that with the help of investors, the country could move from being a food aid recipient to a net food exporter. Henry Wilkins looks at the challenges in this report from Khartoum, Sudan.]]
((VIDEO-VOA: SUDAN FARMING - various))
((NARRATOR))
A video from United Nations' World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley has sparked debate online over whether Sudan could indeed boost output from its unused arable land.
((Mandatory Courtesy: Twitter/@WFPChief))
((David Beasley, WFP Executive Director, (in English, 14 secs))
"This is a country that has 210 million acres [85 million hectares] of arable land, and only 25% of it is being used. But if we can get the private sector in here, working with the smallholder farmer, well, we can grow the food we need not just to feed Sudan, but actually feed the whole world."
((VIDEO-VOA: SUDAN FARMING - various))
((NARRATOR))
Last month, Sudan saw record levels of food insecurity, according to the U.N. The idea that it could feed itself and other countries in a region struggling not only with drought but also with grain shortages caused by the conflict in Ukraine might seem far-fetched.
Experts tell VOA that making use of the unused land is more complicated than Beasley implies.
[[For radio: Professor Titus Awokuse is the associate dean for Research and Strategic Partnerships at Michigan State University.))
((Titus Awokuse, Food and Agricultural Economics Expert (in English, ?? secs))) ((Zoom))
"My first reaction to the video was that it sounded like the solution is straightforward and is simple, and from my experience, I think the issues are more complex and more nuanced."
((VIDEO-VOA: SUDAN FARMING - various, SUDAN INVESTOR, AMHEMD ESTABLISHING SHOTS - various))
((NARRATOR))
He went on to cite the need for better infrastructure and better regulation. Financial transactions from abroad are also difficult because of sanctions on the country.
Some investing in farming in Sudan told VOA that risks due to political instability are also a problem. While the United Arab Emirates and China have invested, the risk profile for Western companies is too high, they said.
For their part, smallholder farmers say they would welcome any investment.
Ahmed Salam Mohammed al-Helou says it would transform his business.
((Ahmed Salam Mohammed al-Helou, Farmer (male in Arabic, ?? secs)))
"If you gave me money, I would expand my business. If I had enough money, I would plant vegetables that were impossible for me before. I’d buy new land."
[[For radio: He says if given more money, he would expand his business. If he had enough, he would plant vegetables that were impossible for him to access before. He’d buy new land.))
((VIDEO-VOA: SUDAN FARMING - various, SUDAN INVESTOR, AMHEMD ESTABLISHING SHOTS - various))
Abdullah Mohamed El Amin, a retired agricultural-scientist-turned-smallholder, says private sector investment could bring big benefits.
((Abdullah Mohamed El Amin, Retired Agricultural Scientist (in English, 19 secs)))
"Farmers here are used to doing things as they know. You know that their knowledge is not sufficient, but if we find investment, they will follow the right way, and they will do better."
((VIDEO-VOA: YAHIA ESTABLISHING SHOTS - various))
((NARRATOR))
It is up to the government to make legislative reforms, says Yahia Omar Adam, director of the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Khartoum. He says some neighboring countries have managed to do that well.
((Yahia Omar Adam, University of Khartoum (in English, 15 secs)))
"We have a good example of our neighbor Ethiopia and their internal or external investment in agriculture. They are very successful."
((VIDEO-VOA: SUDAN FARMING - various))
((NARRATOR))
Functions of the state in Sudan are said by experts to be at a standstill, as a military junta that took power in 2021 keeps a stranglehold on power while showing little interest in governing.
((Henry Wilkins, for VOA News, Khartoum, Sudan))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMarch 16, 2023 11:54 EDT
BylineHenry Wilkins
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
