Federal Minister of Agriculture Inaugurates National Harvest Celebration in Kassala

The Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Omar Abu Bakr Al-Bashri, along with the Minister of Federal Governance, Engineer Mohammed Kurtikila Saleh, and the acting Governor of Kassala State, retired Major General Al-Sadiq Mohammed Al-Azraq, inaugurated the national harvest celebration at the Kulhoot Agricultural Project in Kassala Locality. The event was attended by various state leaders, the Deputy Director of the Agricultural Bank, and representatives from organizations supporting the agricultural sector, and was met with enthusiasm from the farmers.

During his speech at the celebration, Al-Bashri praised the efforts of all partners, including national and international organizations and companies, for their support of agriculture in Kassala. He especially commended the farmers of the Kulhoot Agricultural Project, noting the significant increase in cultivated land this season, which expanded from 2,500 feddans last year to 25,000 feddans.

Al-Bashri highlighted the ministry's strategy to transition from traditional to modern agriculture, which remains one of the country's main challenges. He emphasized the ministry's focus on providing improved seeds to farmers, enhancing technology transfer, establishing advisory centers, and adhering to technical standards. He also mentioned that the ministry has distributed over 30,000 tons of seeds this season, including 20,000 tons provided by the FAO, which contributed to the expansion of cultivated land.

This year, Al-Bashri noted, Sudan's cultivated area has reached 170 million feddans, with 4 million feddans in Kassala State alone. A significant portion of this land has been planted with sorghum. Across Sudan, 30 million feddans have been cultivated, including 17 million feddans of sorghum, along with other crops in various states.

The minister credited Sudan's climatic diversity for the success in cultivating a variety of crops and mentioned the impact of the "El Niño" phenomenon. While it caused drought in some countries, it resulted in increased rainfall in Sudan, benefiting rain-fed agricultural projects. Al-Bashri also reviewed the steps and efforts that contributed to the success of the current agricultural season.

He stated that those who claimed Sudan would need to open its borders were wrong, and anyone who believes Sudan will starve is mistaken. Al-Bashri proudly announced the provision of more than 4 million tons of sorghum for the strategic reserve. He also pointed out that neighboring countries depend on Sudan for food supplies, and he expressed no regrets about the portion of Sudan’s produce that goes to these countries.