Sudan launches project to provide fertilizers to national agro-industrial complex

The Sustain Sudan project has been launched with strong partnership commitments. The Sustain Sudan project brings together global partners to revive agriculture, support smallholder farmers and build resilient agri-food systems to ensure long-term food security. The project initially focuses on fertilizers, then on crop protection products.

The Sustain Sudan project partners recently gathered in Nairobi for a kick-off meeting to chart a clear course of action to address Sudan’s urgent food security challenges, reports Maria Monayo in an article on the CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) portal.

The two-day meeting brought together key implementing and strategic partners – Sustain Africa, the IFDC, CIMMYT, the Clingendael Institute and Sudanese entrepreneurship development company 249Startups – as well as donors and the private sector. Discussions focused on aligning strategies, refining operational plans, and strengthening our shared commitment to supporting Sudanese farmers in a challenging political and humanitarian environment.

“Our mission is simple but urgent: to ensure fertilizer is available across Sudan, and affordable to the smallholder farmers who need it most,” said Ben Valk of Sustain Africa.

Sudan is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern times, with a violent conflict over power that has lasted more than two years. As a result, more than half the population – 25 million people – are in acute food insecurity. The 2023 cereal harvest alone has fallen by almost half, and the country is bracing for a deficit of 1.9 million tonnes of food this year.

Before the conflict, Sudan was two-thirds self-sufficient in grain. Now, in many parts of the country, fields are empty, agricultural systems are in disrepair, communities are displaced, and the cost of basic inputs has skyrocketed.

Sudan’s agricultural potential remains high despite ongoing conflict and macroeconomic instability. Sustain Sudan is leveraging this resilience to implement a plan to restore agriculture where security allows. The ultimate goal is to reduce hunger by reviving local food production, focusing on access to quality fertilizer, seeds and crop protection products for farmers in safer areas.

“This project is about practical solutions that work in today’s realities. By bringing together the right partners, we can ensure fair prices and maintain supply chains. We are helping farmers in Sudan continue to produce food despite the challenges,” said Ben Valk of Sustain Africa, Project Manager and Strategic Coordinator.

The project is based on a market-based approach, collaborating with existing agro-dealers, logistics providers and financial institutions to restore input supply chains. The model aims to strengthen the resilience of the private sector, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises, so that Sudan can emerge from the crisis with a sustainable agricultural economy.

The meeting fostered a spirit of cooperation, providing partners with the opportunity to agree on priorities, share experiences and build trust. The discussions focused on coordinated strategies to meet Sudan’s agricultural needs, taking into account the realities of the fragile economic and security situation.

As Anette Hoffmann of the Clingendael Institute, the project’s political and conflict adviser, said, each procurement decision will be tailored to the local situation to reduce the risk of escalating tensions and exacerbating structural drivers of conflict: “We start by sourcing and delivering to safer areas and only scale up when conditions allow.”

“With our experience in Sudan, we will apply evidence-based approaches to ensure that input deliveries are efficient, secure and linked to agronomic support. By combining digital tracking, market surveillance and targeted information dissemination, we aim to help farmers use resources efficiently, protect market integrity and strengthen food security in Sudan,” said Moses Siambi, CIMMYT Regional Director for Africa.

CIMMYT is the lead implementing partner for the project. Sustain Sudan will work through local networks to deliver 260,000 tonnes of subsidised fertilizer and other essential agricultural inputs during the 2025–26 seasons. The goal is to directly engage 350,000 farmers in agricultural production and ultimately support two million households to achieve food security.

Yield increases of at least 40% compared to plots without fertilizer are projected, underscoring the programme’s focus on productivity, sustainability and impact at scale. Rather than free distributions, the project offers targeted discounts – at least 30% at retail – coupled with training, digital advisory services and a voucher system for smallholder farmers. This ensures markets function, supports local businesses and equips farmers with the tools and knowledge to increase production.

In the winter season of 2025, the project will focus on the supply of 50,000 tons of basic fertilizers – diammonium phosphate, urea, ammonium sulfate and NPK mixtures, with plans to expand the activity to seeds and plant protection products in 2026.

Tags: Sudan, fertilizers, agricultural sector