Minister of Agriculture: We allowed UN to purchase sorghum from Sudan

Minister of Agriculture Abu Bakr Omar Al-Bushra has said that they have approved the purchase of sorghum from Sudan by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). However, he denied knowledge of the country to which the sorghum would be donated.

Previous media reports indicated that the WFP had submitted a request to the Sudanese authorities for approval to purchase (200) thousand tons of sorghum to provide aid to South Sudan, although it did not mention any famine there.

Al-Bushra added to Al-Sudani: “Yes, we have given permission to WFP, and it purchased from five women’s associations in Al-Gadarif, but I do not know which country he donated it to.”

In response to a question about whether Sudan’s production under these circumstances allows for this, the Minister of Agriculture confirmed: “Yes. We are self-sufficient in grain.”

The Minister pointed out that this year’s production exceeds Sudan’s needs, which require between 5.5 and 6 million tons of grain to meet the needs of its citizens.

He explained that the total cultivated area during the summer season amounted to approximately 39 million acres, of which more than 12 million acres were allocated to growing sorghum and millet.