Sudan Launches Digital Agriculture Plan to Stabilise Food Production
Khartoum unveils a digital agriculture programme to modernise irrigation, manage water more efficiently and revive food production after widespread wartime damage.
Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation has launched a digital transformation programme designed to rehabilitate the country’s crippled agricultural sector and restore state oversight over water management as the war continues to disrupt food production.
Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Ismat Qureshi Abdallah said the initiative aligns with the government’s broader recovery agenda and with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Telecommunications.
He described digital tools as “a strategic instrument” to rebuild capacity, manage scarce water resources and increase farm productivity after irrigation networks and administrative systems were severely damaged in the conflict, according to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA).
Rebuilding a broken backbone of the economy
Agriculture has long been Sudan’s primary economic pillar, employing more than 40 per cent of the workforce before the war and accounting for a significant share of export earnings. The sector ranges from smallholder farms to large irrigated schemes such as the Gezira project between the Blue and White Nile — once one of Africa’s largest irrigation systems but now degraded by conflict, looting and the cessation of state maintenance.
Since fighting started in April 2023 by the Rapid Support Forces against the Sudanese Armed Forces, agricultural output has contracted sharply. Many farming communities in Gezira, White Nile, Sennar and North Kordofan have faced displacement, lack of inputs, and restricted access to fields. International agencies including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warn that Sudan is experiencing one of the world’s worst hunger crises.
Digital tools to track crops, pests and irrigation needs
The new programme will introduce applications to document field data, monitor crop growth and water needs, track pest infestations, and support yield assessments. Officials say these tools should give technicians a clearer real-time picture of conditions across the main farming regions.
The ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation said digital mapping, data logging and network-linked dashboards would strengthen the government’s ability to allocate water across key irrigation zones. Such systems are expected to help identify leakages, blockages or equipment losses in areas where pumps and canals have been destroyed or looted.
Alongside the digital rollout, the ministry plans to retrain technicians on modern irrigation methods and replace servers and equipment lost during the war.
The government hopes the upgraded systems will offer more accurate early-warning alerts and support better drought and pest-control planning.
Water management under pressure
Sudan’s water infrastructure has been under acute pressure for years, but the war has accelerated its decline. In parts of Gezira and White Nile states, canal maintenance has largely halted, leaving farmers dependent on makeshift solutions or rain-fed production. Power shortages have also affected pumping stations, making irrigation unreliable even in regions that previously had stable water flow.
The FAO reported in recent months that farmers have faced shortages of fuel, seeds and fertiliser, while market fragmentation has raised transport costs.
Satellite assessments by the WFP show a substantial reduction in cultivated land in several states, driven by insecurity and the collapse of extension services.
A call for coordination and support
Ismat Abdallah, the Agriculture and Irrigation minister, called on ministries, state authorities and technical bodies to support the project, arguing that digital oversight and water management are essential for recovery.
“Rebuilding irrigation and restoring agricultural capacity are fundamental to achieving long-term food and water security,” he said.
While the government is promoting digital agriculture as a pillar of reconstruction, the success will depend on the restoration of physical infrastructure, the reopening of transport corridors and the stabilisation of frontline areas. Officials, however, see the project as a step toward rebuilding state capacity in a sector that remains vital to Sudan’s survival.
Reporting by Awad Mustafa