Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 1 Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan A Scoping Mission Report September 2021 Prepared for: Hugh Simpson, Joona Mikkola and Monica L. Parker Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 2 Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan - A Scoping Mission Report © International Potato Center, 2021 ISBN: 978-92-9060-605-5 DOI: 10.4160/9789290606055 CIP publications contribute important development information to the public arena. Readers are encouraged to quote or reproduce material from them in their own publications. As copyright holder CIP requests acknowledgement and a copy of the publication where the citation or material appears. Please send this to the Communications Department at the address below. International Potato Center P.O. Box 1558, Lima 12, Peru cip@cgiar.org • www.cipotato.org Correct citation: Simpson, H., Mikkola, J., and Parker, M. (2021) Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan: A Scoping Mission Report. International Potato Center: Lima, Peru. 32 pp. Design and Layout Communications Department September 2021 CIP also thanks all donors and organizations which globally support its work through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund. https://www.cgiar.org/funders/ © 2019. International Potato Center. All rights reserved. This work by the International Potato Center is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at: http://www.cipotato.org/contact/ Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 3 Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Foreword .................................................................................................................................... 5 Background ................................................................................................................................ 6 Context ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Sudan’s reintegration to the global economy ....................................................................... 7 Agriculture - Sudan’s growth engine ..................................................................................... 8 Food security .......................................................................................................................... 9 Climate change and environment ........................................................................................ 10 Sudan’s potential in potato production ................................................................................... 11 Agro-ecological zones .......................................................................................................... 12 Potato value chain in Sudan ................................................................................................ 15 Stakeholders and potential partners ....................................................................................... 19 Government agencies and regulatory bodies...................................................................... 19 Donors .................................................................................................................................. 24 Agribusiness ......................................................................................................................... 26 Farmers and farmer groups ................................................................................................. 27 NGOs and UN Agencies ........................................................................................................ 28 Way forward ............................................................................................................................ 29 References ............................................................................................................................... 30 Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 4 Abstract CIP, in partnership with Orgamed Farms Ltd and Stokman Rozen Kenya conducted a scoping exercise to assess private interest in seed production, and the potato sector and partners in general. This scoping report maps partners relevant to potato development and provides an agro-ecological and socio-economic assessment of potential areas for developing potato sector considering differing profiles of value chains: rural, food security focused, urban, commercially driven. The scoping exercise shows great potential to uplift the potato sector to transform the various value chains, and ultimately contribute to development goals to improve livelihoods of Sudanese. Limited access to costly seed is the principal bottle to potato sector development, with the majority of certified seed being imported and sold at 1.37 to 1.87 USD/kg, whereas commercial seed in East African countries ranges from 0.5 to 0.6 USD/kg. As a result, market prices for potato for consumption are high, having been observed as much as 2.20 USD/kg in rural markets, prohibitive for rural households to afford as a food security crop. High production costs affecting supply prevent potato from reaching its potential to provide income and economic development from household to regional levels, and contribute to food security at the national level. At the same time, urbanization, change of dietary habits and removal of wheat import subsidizes continue to drive demand of potato in Sudan. The scoping report will advise pathways to support potato to reach its potential through creating opportunities for diverse partners, including national and regional institutions, private sector, national NGOs, farmer organizations and microfinance institutions. Foreword The International Potato Center (CIP) sees exciting potential to support developing the potato and sweetpotato sectors in Sudan. The immense potential and possibilities were unknown prior to the partnerships and missions and now we are aware of the new era which the government and leadership are bringing Sudan. This report is rooted in partnerships. CIP has worked with Stokman Rozen Kenya, who had contacted CIP about extending its operations into Sudan. After an initial meeting, the core team came together with Orgamed Farms to forge a new path for developing the country’s potato sector. CIP appreciates the warm welcome from the partners during our missions to Sudan. Of note, we thank the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Agricultural Research Corporation and Government of Central Darfur State for their warm reception and with whom we are commencing plans immediately to strengthen our partnership and plan joint interventions. We are excited by the opportunities for partnerships and establishing CIP in Sudan. While this report assesses the overall state of potato, we are equally pleased to have formed many partnerships that will help bring greater prosperity to the people of Sudan. This scoping report is the first major milestone towards realizing this goal. Hugh Simpson, Joona Mikkola and Monica L. Parker (August 2021). Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 5 Background The International Potato Center (CIP), with private partners Orgamed Farms Ltd1 and Stokman Rozen Kenya2 initiated a scoping exercise to assess feasibility of developing the potato sector of Sudan. The private sector interest lay in seed potato production and marketing, and CIP to assess establishing a program in Sudan to support public and private sector to engage in the potato sector. Private sector and CIP all financially contributed to the scoping missions (Table 1). The scoping missions were undertaken April to August 2021. Meetings were held during these missions with partners from government and public institutions, private sector and implementing agencies, and field sites were visited. Table 1. Missions made during the Sudan potato scoping exercise Date Trip Financial support April 8-20 SRK representative in Kenya went SRK covered costs of this trip to Khartoum Orgamed supported all internal logistics and transport June 7-20 SRK representative in Kenya went to Khartoum SRK covered costs of this trip CIP representative in Kenya went CIP covered costs of this trip Jun 14-19 to Khartoum Orgamed supported all internal logistics and transport for Jun 7-20 July 14-20 Orgamed and SRK CIP covered costs of this trip representatives to Central Darfur SRK covered travel cost for SRK representative to and from Kenya and while in Khartoum Aug 1-5 CIP representative in Kenya went CIP covered costs of this trip to Khartoum Orgamed supported internal logistics Context Sudan is in the middle of a political transition and ambitious economic transformation program. This is happening under very challenging circumstances brought about by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the general slowdown of the global economy. These recent challenges, together with the ongoing battle to tackle legacy issues following years of sanctions and underinvestment in all sectors of the economy, have left the government with a limited range of policy options (Noble Capital Group, 2021). Despite this, there are 5 big reform programs that are underway and will have a direct impact on the long-term investment climate in Sudan. 1. Constitutional reform: The aim of the constitutional reform is to establish and maintain political and macroeconomic stability, which in turn will promote economic growth and wealth creation. 2. Civil service reform: The government has initiated a civil service reform program lead by PwC and sponsored by USAID to enhance good governance. 3. Legal and regulatory reform: The government is working to improve the regulatory framework making it favorable for investment. 1 http://orgamedfarms.com 2 https://www.linkedin.com/in/hutchingsjames/SRK Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 6 4. Economic and financial services reform: Sudan recently cleared all arrears for the IMF loans. Banking system is currently going through a critical reform of digitalization and modernization. 5. Investment reform: The Investment Reform agenda will also be geared towards ensuring all the operational challenges investors normally face in a country, and adequately captured in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Matrix, will be addressed. Sudan’s reintegration to the global economy Following signing of partnerships with the World Bank and the IMF, the Abraham Accord with Israel and removal of the US sanctions, Sudan’s economy and banking system are going through a rapid reintegration to the world’s economy. The US sanction, secession of South Sudan, poor governance during the previous regime and loss of oil revenues halted the growth of Sudan’s economy during the last decade. Figure 1. Sudan’s GDP per capita decreased 1000 USD during the 2010’s while GDP per capita in Kenya and Ethiopia grew three to four times bigger (Data: The World Bank, 2021). As trade and investment barriers are being removed, Sudan is projected to experience strong growth on the coming decade. Several studies link the increase in trade to growth of GDP per capita (Hugot, 2016). Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 7 Figure 2. Fouquin and Hugot (CEPII 2016) have demonstrated that increase of trade correlates with GDP growth. Sudan’s location is a strategic advantage: at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East, close to the major import markets of the GCC and Europe, and a gateway to one of the world’s major shipping routes for the Sahel and central Africa with a port on the Red Sea (Noble Capital Group, 2021). Agriculture - Sudan’s growth engine Third largest country in Africa, Sudan’s surface of 1.88 million square kilometers contains savanna, acacia forests, deserts and 200 million hectares of arable land. Sudan contains 10% of the world’s available arable land (Noble Capital Group, 2021), a variety of rich soil types, and a tropical climate suitable for year-round agriculture. Perhaps surprisingly, Sudan is blessed with ample water sources: the country has 43% of the Nile basin, sits on the world’s largest fossil aquifer Nubian Sandstone Aquifer with 150,000 km3 of groundwater and has a fertile rain-fed belt in the South. Omar al Bashir’s regime failed to invest in Sudan’s agriculture, for decades only 1% of the state budget was channeled to development of the agricultural sector (FAO, 2015). Consequently, Sudan become dependent of food aid and agricultural productivity of many crop types has been in decline since the 1950’s (Hassan & Tag, 2018). Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 8 Recent successes in projects that introduce advances of crop science to Sudan suggest that Sudan may be able to deliver on its promise to become the breadbasket for Africa and the Middle East. In 2020, Sudan recorded its largest wheat harvest as the nation saw a wheat production level of a 1.115-million-ton harvest from 315,500 hectares of farmland (3.5 t/ha) – a significant improvement from 2015, when farmers in Sudan working about 250,000 hectares of land harvested just 472,000 tons of the grain (1.9 t/ha; AfDB, 2020). Officials credit the African Development Bank's Tech nologies for African Agricultural Transformation program, or TAAT, for delivering the latest technology of heat-tolerant wheat varieties for this break-through in wheat production (AfDB, 2020). As the agricultural sector becomes focus of public – both international and local – and private investment, it is poised to Figure 3. Table potatoes for sale in Zalingei grow 7.5% annually from $35b today to $72b in 2030 (Noble market, Central Darfur State Capital Group, 2021). Food security On the coming decades, feeding Sudan’s growing population nutritiously and sustainably will require substantial improvements to the country’s food system worldwide. The main challenge will be to produce more food with the same or fewer resources. High yielding potato production could be part of the solution. To unleash potato’s potential, Sudanese farmers would need affordable, clean seed potato and better understanding of good agricultural practices when it comes to potato production. Sudan’s current food security situation is dire. The continued devaluation of the SDG, high inflation, and very high staple food prices have significantly limited household food access in the lean season, resulting in many people requiring emergency food assistance. In 2021, all fuel subsidies were removed as the government works to liberalize the economy. This follows the partial lifting of subsidies in October 2020 on imported wheat, wheat flour, electricity, and LPT cooking gas. (OCHA, 2021) An estimated 7.3 million people in Sudan were in high levels of acute food insecurity in spring 2021 (IPC, 2021). The yield gains in wheat can further be translated to potato, as low yields plague the majority of smallholder farmers. Increasing productivity from an overall average of 11 to 15 t/ha can increase food availability by 160,000 tonnes considering the current estimated 40,000 ha under potato. Increasing the number of farmers and area under potato from diversifying land use and not to increasing idle land, will further contribute to improvement in household incomes to large-scale gains in food availability and food security. High yielding potato could alleviate food security situation in vulnerable areas such Red Sea, Kassala, North Darfur and Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 9 South Kordofan, and decrease the price of food throughout the country. These qualities make potato a strong option for addressing food, economic and nutrition security in Sudan. Minimal Stressed Crisis Emergency Famine Figure 4. The most food insecure areas are located in Kordofans and Darfur. Climate change and environment Several vulnerability indices rank Sudan among the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate variability and change. Changes in climate pose challenges to Sudan’s ongoing efforts to combat poverty, reduce food insecurity and sustainably manage natural resources. Climate projections in Sudan include increases in temperature, increased unpredictability of seasonal rains, increased incidence of drought, rising sea levels and higher storm surges (ATLAS, 2016). Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 10 The exposure to climate change is further exacerbated by substantial land degradation that has been on-going since the 1950’s. Sudan’s agricultural sector has sought to feed the growing population by horizontal expansion, ploughing the country’s forests and savanna to cropland. At the same country’s agricultural productivity has been declining (Hassan & Tag, 2018). Livestock keeping has been tradionally practiced by nomadic pastoralists, which would migrate seasonally in between winter pastures in south and summer pastures in north. Rotational grazing allowed pastures to recover from grazing and to reseed before they way grazed again. Pastoralist have since adapted more sedentery livestyles, partly voluntarily and partly due to restrictions in their migratory routes. Continuous grazing coupled with a massive increase of Sudan’s livestock population has had catastrophic consequenques on the environment in the form of land degradation and vegetative cover. Sudan’s Figure 5. Severely degraded land in Central Darfur. Loss of livestock population grew from around 30 million soil cover caused gullies to from due to water erosion. heads in the 1970s to over 130 million heads in 2021 (IGAD, 2013). This has been further exacerbated by unsustainable cropping practices. As savannas and forests are ploughed to cropland, fields are typically farmed only a few years until they are abandoned. What is left behind is barren and eroded land, which has no cover which would protect the soils from wind and water erosion. Sudan has been estimated to have 120 million hectares of degraded agricultural and range land (Hassan & Tag, 2018). Sudan’s natural landscape provides a multitude of ecosystem services that are critical for the population’s well-being, such as fertile soils, water retention, cooler microclimates, forage production, wildlife habitat etc. To reverse Sudan’s course towards an environmental disaster, it is critical that investment and agricultural innovation to revolutionize agricultural productivity throughout the country. Sudan’s potential in potato production Sandy soils, cool winters, water available for irrigation, dry climate and growing markets make Sudan a very attractive place for potato production. Sudan’s neighbor Egypt produces 2.2 million tons of potato annually (Hegazy, 2019) and exports 485,503 tons of potato per year (FreshPlaza, 2021). Meanwhile, Sudan’s annual potato production stands at around 400,000 tons. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 11 With a much larger arable land surface and unexpoited regions suitabe for rain-fed and irrigated production, Sudan has potential of growing much larger quantities of potato than Egypt. The market for potato keeps growing with quickly urbanizing population and neighboring land-locked countries which produce small quantities of potato. Agro-ecological zones Winter season Throughout Sudan where potato is commonly grown as a winter crop November to February using various types of irrigation – Khartoum, North Khordofan. Alongside the Nile River, farmers pump water from the river for sprinkler or flood irrigation. In the winter season temperatures may drop to 15 Celsius at night averaging 25 Celsius degrees during the day. After March temperatures start to climb, and the areas below 1,000 meters altitude become too hot for potato production. 50-hectare pivots are commonly used for irrigation, which creates a barrier of entry for many farmers due to high capital expenditure. Small scale farmers pumps water and use flooding, sprinklers or driplines for irrigation. Smaller scale irrigated systems are increasingly being powered with solar. In the northern deserts, farming is being done by pumping water from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer which is the largest fossil water reservoir in the world with 150,000 km3 of groundwater. This brings potential to expand winter production of potato to North Darfur and North State. Morocco Mediterraneo Sea Algeria Saudi Arabia Libya Egypt Mauritania Mali Niger Chad Sudan Ethiopia Nigeria Cameroon Figure 6. The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer system covers the northern deserts of Sudan. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 12 Tunisia Rain-fed summer season Southern parts of the country receive sufficient rainfall for a rainfed season, up to 1,200 mm, where crops are farmed from July to September. Figure 7. a) Elevations greater than 1,000 m asl are in Darfur, South Darfur and in Red Sea. b) Precipitation varies from 0 mm in the northern desert to 1,200 mm in the extreme south. During rainfall in the summer season potato production is only possible at elevations of 1,000 meters above sea level and greater, as summer temperatures at lower elevations fluctuate between 30 to 50°C where potato does not grow. Central Darfur, Red Sea and the Nubian Mountains in South Kordofan are the only areas where potato production during summer months to benefit from rainfall is possible. Of these, only Central Darfur is known currently to have large scale potato production during summer months. Consequently, Central Darfur was visited to scoping purposes, to establish whether potato is grown in the region, and both summer and winter season production is possible. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 13 The scoping trip found Zalingei suitable for year around production. The elevation profile in the area varies in between 890 masl in Zalingei and 1,190 masl in Nertiti. Summer season production from July to October is rainfed and winter production from November to January is done with irrigation. Soil profile in the area is well drained clay loam, and pH is averages 7.0. While alkaline soils may subject potatoes for scab, the soil pH can be lowered by adding for instance sulphur or organic matter. Golo (1650 m) in the foothills of Jebel Marra area is the main potato hub in the area, however potato production is common throughout the Central Darfur region. The scoping team visited a farmer near Zalingei who planted summer season potato in July and winter season potato in October/November. The farmer had a borehole for winter production, the depth of the borehole was 15 meters while the water level depth Figure 8. Farmer growing alfalfa as cover crop in between during the winter season was 5 meters. summer and winter seasons near Zalingei. Both agroecological and socio-economic conditions in Zalingei area were deemed suitable for seed potato production by the scoping team. However, limitations in Central Darfur include a remote location and difficult to access supplies such as spare parts, agricultural inputs etc. Combining rainfed farming with irrigation, it is possible to grow two or even three seasons of potato in Zalingei area. This is essential, as at least two seasons per year are required to make seed potato production feasible. The suitability of Red Sea and South Kordofan for two season seed potato production would require a separate scoping trip. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 14 Region Potato production periods Annual precipitation (mm) Rainy season Khartoum state Nov-Feb average 20°C, 17-32°C 70 July-August Red Sea, Arkawit Nov-Feb average 17°C, 15-20°C 120 Nov-Mar Apr-Oct average 23°C, 18-32°C Kassala state Nov – Feb average 25°C 250 Jul-Sep South Kordofan, Nuba Nov-Mar average 24°C, 15-32°C Mountains 600-1200 May-October North Darfur, El Fasher Nov-Feb average 23°C, 13-33°C 250 July-August Central Darfur, Zalingei Jul-Oct average 25°C, 21-33°C 400-800 July-September Nov-Feb average 23°C, 14 –35°C Potato value chain in Sudan Ware potato The estimated 20,000-25,000 smallholder farmers in Sudan produce approximately 440,000 tonnes of potato from 30,000-50,000 hectares (ha) annually, with farm sizes averaging 1.8 to 2.2 ha. The area around Khartoum accounts for greater than 70% of the country's potato production where the crop is used for subsistence and small-scale trade, supplying principally Khartoum markets (Bayer, 2021). The area around Jebal Marra in Central Darfur State is the second most important production area. Potato is also cultivated in the Gash Delta area in Kassala State. Figure 9. 4 potatoes cost 200 SDG in Central Darfur roadside market, equivalent to 2.2 USD/kg. Smallholder farmers typically yield 8 to 16 t/ha, while larger producers yield up to 25 t/ha (Bayer, 2021). Yield disparities are usually related to seed quality. Reliable access to commercial seed and extension/training in good agriculture practices could easily double yields for smallholder farmers. Farm gate prices average 0.26 USD/kg during the peak harvest in March. Potato can be profitable at current yields and market prices, and even greater when market prices reach 0.4 – 0.7 USD/kg: Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 15 Seed type/cost Cost production Yield t/acre Net revenue per 1 per acre acre potato @ 0.26 USD/kg Imported 1,500 USD/t or 1,320 USD in seed 2,500 USD 13 880 USD Local 500 USD/t or 425 USD in seed 1,000 USD 5 300 USD The reason that potato is not a principal crop and grown by more farmers are the barriers to production. Limited access to costly seed is the principal bottleneck to potato sector development, with the majority of certified seed being imported and sold at 1.37 to 1.87 USD/kg, whereas commercial seed in East African countries ranges from 0.5 to 0.6 USD/kg. As a result, market prices for potato are high, having been observed at 2.2 USD/kg in rural markets, a cost prohibitive for the majority of households to consume potato as a food security crop. Bringing more production to high potential rain-fed zones can circumvent this hurdle. In winter season production areas, setting up irrigation for the winter crop further compounds the high cost of seed. The high cost of setting up a pivot system creates an entry barrier with only a few farmers having the capital needed for potato production outside of rainfed areas. With the majority of production in the irrigated winter season, accessing irrigation resources further compounds challenges to farmers without access to financial services. There are two microfinance institutions in Sudan mandated to provide services ONLY for potato-related financing, enhancing farmer access to inputs to engage in profitable potato production. One of the companies, Al-Anaam Microfinance Company has partnered with the Bank of Sudan, the Islamic Development Bank, the Farmers bank and the United Capital Bank to provide potato farmers with seed potato and other inputs in Khartoum state. Bringing potato the forefront of crops in rain-fed areas through reliable access to reasonably priced seed and financial services can unlock the potential of potato for farmers to produce potato and households to increase consumption of affordable food to contribute to economic and food security from household to national levels. Use of fertilizer appears to be largely confined to urea application in the Khartoum area. The recommended (Ali, 1976) application is 360 kg/ha of urea and 240 kg/ha superphosphate, although small holders typically apply below recommended levels. In general, production takes place with a minimum use of purchased inputs, mechanization, or technical assistance (World Potato Atlas, 2020). List of the 22 potato varieties registered in Sudan, with the commonly grown ones highlighted in grey. Most are grown from imported seed and Bellini being the favorite among small-scale farmers in the Khartoum area: Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 16 NO. Variety Year of release NO. Variety Year of release 1 Diamant 2004 12 Burren 2013 2 Draga 2004 13 Banba 2013 3 Spunta 2004 14 Everest 2013 4 Desiree 2004 15 Safari 2013 5 Bellini 2011 16 Santana 2017 6 Mondial 2011 17 Triplo 2017 7 Zafira 2011 18 Markies 2017 8 Almera 2011 19 Barcelona 2018 9 Armada 2011 20 Jelly 2018 10 Arnova 2011 21 Arizona 2018 11 Alaska 2013 22 Elmundo 2018 Brown rot poses a risk for ware and seed potato production in Central Darfur and especially in Golo. The occurrence of this disease in the area is largely caused by lack of crop rotation and tendency to leave small tubers on the soil after harvesting large ones. Soil pathogen analysis is required before starting seed potato production in the area. Seed potato Imported seed Although the climate and infrastructure exist to support a potato seed system, currently, there is minimal investment in seed production in Sudan. Most seed is imported from Europe, annually importing an estimated 10,000 tonnes. Seed mainly comes from Dutch breeders (Agrico, Stat Holland etc.) and are sold through seed trading companies. Was Trading Company is a major seed trade company being the agent for Agrico of the Netherlands. There are another 25 - 30 smaller seed trading companies of various sizes selling imported seed tubers. These imported tubers are sold to all levels of potato farmers. The imported tubers must be paid for in advance before release to the farmers, normally June to July, which creates an extra strain for farmers cash flow management. Sudanese seed traders sell certified seed with much higher prices compared to other regions. The farmers interviewed for the study reported that it is common to pay up to 1.87 USD/kg for certified seed potato, comparable to 0.55 to 0.60 USD/kg in East African countries. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 17 Locally produced seed Some businesses bulk imported European seed near Omdurman and store until the following season for commercial sale to farmers. In addition to that, there are some attempts to grow seed potato from true potato seed. During a meeting with the ARC Zalingei, the scoping team found that there was an initiative in Zalingei to grow local seed potato production of around 80 tonnes annually. The grown variety would be Zalingei, a variety commonly grown in the area. Brown rot poses a risk for ware and seed potato production in Central Darfur and especially in Golo. Muhammed Salah Elrahim from Was International mentioned was that when engaging with seed production in Darfur, one should be careful with pathogens in areas where there has been historical potato production. Mr. Elrahim claimed that people used to just harvest large tubers and leave smaller tubers to rot on the soil, and findings of diseases such as brown rot are not rare. This is a risk that should be mitigated in the action plan Figure 10. Seed potato at a 80 tonne storage in Zalingei, the and when selecting the production area. Proper soil cooling machine was acquired from the UNAMID when the testing and pathogen analysis before the final selection mission ended. of the farm. Cold storage With most production one a year as a winter season crop, cold storage for long term storage is critical for the value chain. Sudan’s potato value chain is characterized by lack of cold storage space which is up to standard. The scoping team visited two potato cold storages in Khartoum, and none of them met the minimum food safety standard. Furthermore, it was not possible to operate forklift and wooden potato storage boxes in these cold stores, as they were not originally built for industrial scale potato storing. A cold storage was visited which is normally used to store potatoes, although now it had other agricultural commodities inside. The cooling system was working, one room was set to 2°C and another to 12°C. However, the cold store had some other serious shortages: low level of hygiene, limited space (around 30 cubic meters), and the doors and the corridors were not fit for forklift. The storing cost in Khartoum area is 20 USD per tonne per month when storing is offered as a service. There are two 80 tonne stores in Zalingei which are cooled with the equipment that UNAMID left behind. The stores were clean and in a good condition, but obviously the storing capacity is rather limited. The stores are managed by the Zalingei town. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 18 The African Development Bank is funding a 10,000 tonne cold store in Khartoum area. The project in on tendering phase and managed by Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (AVCDP) under Ministry of Agriculture. Market With rapid urbanization and changing diet trends, potato market in Sudan is booming. French fries with chicken have replaced sorghum, millet and likes as a staple food for urban dwellers as this trend is only likely to continue as the middle class starts growing and urbanization continues. French fries are mainly imported from Egypt, even though there are at least three French fries processing lines in Khartoum. These factories are not operating as they are unable to secure adequate supply of raw material quality standards. With the current price levels of table potato, processing is not attractive market for farmers as they are likely to get much better prices from table potato. Overall, the high prices indicate that the current supply of table potato is way under the demand in Sudan. Furthermore, Sudan’s landlocked neighbors Chad, Central African Republic and South Sudan could also be attractive markets. From Zalingei, potatoes are sold to Geneina in West Darfur, from where lot of them end up in Chad’s markets. Stakeholders and potential partners A summary of the principal partners in the immediate and short-term plan is below and summarized in Annex 1 with a figure further summarizing the relationships (Roadmap to partnerships and sector support Sudan). Annex 1 also summarizes all partner meetings held during the scoping visits, in addition to the partners described below. Annex 2 contains the contacts (Sudan contacts). Gender observations: In most meetings, the CIP representative was the only women, or among only a few. In such meetings, the presence of women was regarded and it was remarked to bring more women onto the team and in the potato sector. ARC and NRC described below are two national institutions with remarkable representation of women in leadership roles and officer/technician positions. Government agencies and regulatory bodies Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MoAF) welcomed CIP to Sudan to support development of potato and sweetpotato sectors which can contribute significantly to agricultural and economic growth. The scoping team with CIP met the Minister Altahir Harbi where the ministry welcomed the expertise CIP can bring and extended their support to resource mobilization efforts to support CIP establishment in Sudan. MoAF specifically requested support for the African Development Bank (AfDB) potato value chain project. AfDB funds a potato value chain development project which is implemented by the MoAF and the ARC and focuses on developing cold storage and seed production capacity. The AfDB will fund a construction of a 10,000-tonne cold storage capacity and the seed potato production project targets to produce 10 000 tonnes Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 19 of seed potato worth 4 million USD, to replace the seed potato imports with national production. There are currently three tenders under this project which have closed but not awarded yet: • Proposal for Design of Development of Potato Seed Certification lab and data management, submit expression of interest by 7th July, • Consultancy to Develop a Proposal for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Structure for Managing the "Potato Seeds Development Center" in Khartoum, submit expressions of interest physically by 25th June, • Design, Supply and Installation of Cold Storage Facilities due 18th August. In recognition of the importance of potato, the ministry organized an immediate follow up technical meeting with lead scientists and officers to elaborate a roadmap of collaboration and support. The scoping team presented themselves at the meeting but couldn’t remain due to tight meeting schedule of the week. Central Darfur State Governor The scoping team met with the Central Darfur State Governor Dr. Abeed A. Yousif in Khartoum on July 1. Following the Governor hosted the scoping team in Central Darfur July 12, welcoming CIP to Central Darfur. He stated there is need for exactly this kind of intervention that can improve food security and create income streams –large-scale, private sector seed production and the downstream benefits potato can bring to the farming households of Central Darfur. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 20 Figure 11. The scoping team was hosted by the Governor of Central Darfur, and the visit was covered in the local media. On the left side, locally produced seed stored in a cold storage. The outcomes of both meetings: • The governor welcomes the CIP to Central Darfur and said that the CIP’s program aligns very well with his administration goals to increase agricultural production in the area through improved technology and innovation. • The private partner Orgamed would need 2000 acres of land for seed bulking. • The farm area was discussed, and the governor said that he already had a few locations in his mind, some are more developed than others. • The father of the governor told him that back in the 50s lot of potato was farmed in Central Darfur, which was then sold to Khartoum. • Chad is already importing horticulture products from Darfur, and as potato production increases, the country’s market would present an interesting opportunity. • Sweet potato, banana and other agricultural products were also discussed, and the governor was very interested in developing those value chains as well. • The governor recommended a few areas and villages to be visited (which Naji knew). • a cold store would be essential – now seed potato tubers are transported to Khartoum for storage and then brought back to Darfur, which increases the product costs. • The large influx of IDPs has let to massive deforestation in the area, the government is now looking for funding to plant 2 million trees to improve water availability and other ecosystem services Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 21 The Governor’s team further hosted the scoping team when visited Zalingei and showed continuous support for the project. Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) ARC is the national research program for agriculture, with headquarters in Wad Madani and stations throughout the country. All meetings with ARC have been very positive to establish strong collaborations, and they have reassured that the CIP’s program would have their support. “With the efforts of CIP and ARC scientists we can establish collaborative research programs between our institutions in different fields of mutual interest on potato and sweet potato research. We are looking forward for strong partnership between ARC and CIP.” ARC tissue culture lab: There has been a project in 2007 where 15 drought resistance CIP varieties we imported to Sudan for seed potato multiplication. The project also included an element to develop Sudan’s tissue culture and rapid multiplication technologies, but it run out of government funding due to the politic context at that time. Professor Moawia E. Mohamed had kept some CIP varieties alive since 2007, but the lab was not in a good condition. The visit in June 2021 revealed a revitalized infrastructure at ARC Shambat, North Khartoum, with well-equipped and functioning labs. The government is showing its commitment to agriculture though this investment and also ensure the labs have supplies through government support. The lab network is lead largely by women with many women in technician and internship positions. Figure 12. Tissue culture laboratory for the Agricultural Research Corporation, Shambat, Sudan. A roadmap has been outlined to guide the way forward to specify areas of collaboration3, beginning with introducing new material, fast tracking release or assigning an emergency or temporary release status for two to four varieties for commercial seed sales while evaluating a larger set of lines for adaptability and seeking support for capacity development needs. 3 Roadmap for Seed and NPT_ARC and Private Sector_Sudan Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 22 New varieties will be tested in the ARC’s plots before they are released. However, the ARC was really to look at the possibility that Orgamed/SRK start multiplying cuttings in their own farm/green houses at the same time as ARC run their tests. This would fast-track the process and ensure that Orgamed can start selling commercial seed of CIP varieties after three seasons of buking from minitubers coincides with temporary release of the select varieties. ARC has a new tissue culture laboratory which capacities they look to develop. Overall, the ARC has been very positive about the CIP’s program, which aligns well with many of the ARC’s goals: • Create a stronger link in between farmers and researchers. • Develop Sudan’s capacity to produce certified seed for domestic and export market. • Support the country’s food security by impactful research and development. • Develop the sweet potato value chain to provide food for people and feed for animals. • Enhance food security in remote locations by introducing high yielding, nutrient dense crops. CIP and ARC are developing a roadmap to ensure varieties that commercial seed business will start to bulk in November are released in time for commercial sale, with first sale planned for May/June 20233. ARC recommended to connect with World Food Program and suggest that WFP would start supplying potatoes for their beneficiaries. This would fasten the release process, as it could be argued that creating a strong local supply of potatoes especially in remote areas is critical due to the dire food security situation in the country. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) A meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was organized to discuss registration of the CIP in Sudan. MFA recommended that the CIP registers under ICARDA and gets a diplomatic status. City Council of Zalingei The regional Head of ARC Zalingei, and Head of Ministry of Production and Economy chaired a meeting with Zalingei city council. Jebel Marra Rural Development Project shed light on their programs in Central Darfur. This government organization seem to have a lot of influence in the area. ARC Zalingei told about their seed potato program in the region (ARC Zalingei seed project): • 1962 ARC started in Zalingei, research station. • 1990 started potato production at ARC program. • 100 farmers trained with the potato production program. • Large area of potato production (2000-3000 feddan /1000 – 1500 ha). • 50%/50% wet season and irrigation season production. • Challenges: low productivity, high production cost for seed, lack of planting machines and harvesting machines, cool storages. • ARC welcomes cooperation with CIP/Orgamed. • 2 ton per hectare average production. • 19 – 22°C in Jebel Marra during summer. • Challenges: the winter seed is always late. • The rain season must be supported by supplementary irrigation. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 23 Mr. Sheif Ministry of Production and Economy said that the first potato development project in Zalingei dates back to 1970s. He sees a huge potential in potato production, including potato exports to Chad from Zalingei. Sheif encouraged to include small holder farmers with the intervention. National Center for Research (NCR), Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Figure 13. Arab Organization for Agriculture Development Aligns with Biofortification activities. NCR led by organised a dinner with Agriculture Research Corporation, many women in senior roles, including Director Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry and Foreign Affairs and Orgamed on CIP’s first mission to Sudan, June 2021. General. Veru responsive and highly collaborative. Already prepared a roadmap for way forward (NRC_Biofortified tubers- Concept Note) Will integrate into capacity development on national institutional concept notes. University of Zalingei Seed potato production program started 7 months ago. The University did not have records of historic potato production, they suggested to check for them from Jebel Marra Rural Development project. The university has both a seed potato production research program and a production program. • Aim to produce 50 tonnes of potato. • Need of seed 3,000 kg. • Material is not yet ordered or planted. • The CIP could provide some of the planting material. • Planting in October. • 5 feddan Zalingei, 10 feddan Golo, 5 feddan somewhere else? Total area of production 20 feddan. • Capacities: experienced staff (land preparation, plant protection etc. 45 staff faculty of agriculture), land, three tractors, need a harrow, disc plow, ridging. • 500 kg per feddan planting quantity. • No soil samples available except Hunting Technical Services did soil samples analysis for Jebel Marra Development Project from the 1990s. • Water samples available from Jebel Marra Development Project. • Weather records available from the University and from the Development Project. • Nematodes can be an issue in the area. • Labs available for analyzing soil diseases. • Farmers need training and extension services, good agricultural practices (GAP) are not followed. Donors Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) AOAD might be interested in funding the CIP’s program in Sudan. The organization also turn out to be extremely helpful by introducing the CIP to the government organizations and hosted a dinner for CIP, the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry and Foreign Affairs, ARC and Orgamed on their first mission to Sudan, June 2021. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 24 AOAD supports capacity development, studies and trials which aligns very well to the entry point of capacity development of national institutions, namely ARC along with National Research Council (NRC) of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. CIP forecasts to submit a concept to support: 1. Ministry of Agriculture and ARC capacity development train research staff (potato production techniques, diagnostics, quality assurance, regional trade agreements, monitoring and evaluation), exchange visits. 2. Evaluate introduced material for potato and sweetpotato. 3. Study: Value Chain Analysis for potato and sweetpotato. 4. Study: Disease survey of soil borne pathogens. 5. Study: Establishing a national potato platform. 6. Study: National Potato Strategy/Roadmap. 7. Study: Update seed regulations. 8. Trial water use saving technologies/precision agriculture for irrigated systems with ARC and private sector. USAID The first meeting with USAID team at the embassy indicated that USAID might be interested in funding the CIP’s activities in Sudan for potato and sweetpotato. A second meeting identified to submit a brief summarizing the value of potato which would be part of the handover of the interim Agriculture Officer to the permanent position. USAID estimate $15 million/yr for agriculture in Sudan and focus on Darfur, particularly East Darfur. USAID is also interested to leverage on other interventions for entire sector support. The action plan for the short term with goal to have funding to start in first half of 2022: • Prepare brief on value of potato. • Discuss CN note in Sept with new officer. • Target for seed system and value chain development. • Combine with rain-fed agriculture (this important for donors). • Leveraging on AOAD support for capacity development and national documentation, WFP resilience communities, potato-specific microfinance institutions. • Central Darfur in general, possibly North Darfur as well. • East Darfur for sweetpotato – very favourable as USAID has investments in the priority state. • Both crops. African Development Bank (AfDB) AfDB is funding the Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (AVCDP) which aims to develop a national capacity to produce and certify seed potato. There is an invaluable opportunity to support the AfDB and the MoAF in this process, as it falls in the very mandate of the CIP. Both AfDB and MoAF are keen to bring CIP the partnership for an assignment to provide technical backstopping to enable to reach project targets. The upcoming midterm review opportunity to adjust the project and budget to accommodate CIP technical backstopping assignment which is being followed up with the MoAF and AfDB Project Officer in Nairobi. AfDB favorable to support the backstopping. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 25 IFAD Strong interest for dual purpose sweetpotato under various programs (IFAD Sudan Country Strategy ), the sweetpotato team is following up to align to other IFAD collaborations. GIZ Sudan Met with GIZ Country Director. Build on strong GIZ-CIP relationships in 8 countries in Africa Currently evolving Sudan strategy, not a lot of focus on agriculture but potential and now is time to adjust to accommodate potto and economic benefits. Send scoping report and potato brief and met in person on CIP following mission to Sudan. The European Union The EU is one of the biggest donors in Darfur, and they have a new call for proposal coming out early August, according to their partner COOPI. COOPI wants the CIP to develop a concept/proposal in cooperation with them. COOPI has built a 1.2 million m3 water reservoir in North Darfur, which has led to many previously nomadic pastoralists to settle in the area. The total head count of the heard is greater than 400,000, which puts enormous strain on the pasture. The EU is looking to fund the next phase of the dam project and introducing high yielding new crops fits well into phase 2. However, CIP is not eligible for EU grants, unless a service agreement arrangement can be made. COOPI is following up on this. FCDO The scoping team met with Anna and FCDO is not currently funding projects such as the one of CIP. Potential donors Annex 1 indicate further donors and partners for follow up after process the initial opportunities. Agribusiness SHS Frozen The scoping team met with the General Manager Tarig Salaheldin Hamza, who operates a French fries factory in Omdurman. The factory can process 1000 tons of frozen French fries annually, but it was not operational due to lack of quality potato suitable for French fries processing. The factory needs 2000 tons of potato annually and has a capacity to store a year’s supply. According to Hamza, there are two other French fries factories in Khartoum facing a similar situation. Mr. Hamza told that they had an order to procure 1000 tons of French fries for KFC Sudan annually, but also KFC Figure 14. A water fall in Nertite. The township has rich organic soils and it stands Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda have contacted them for French fries. over 1100 m above sea level. Nasr Elshiekh Mustafa Alamien Company Mustafa Nasr, the general manager, told the scoping team that he has 12,000 acres of land where he wants to start cultivating potato. During past 5 years, Mr. Nasr had cultivated alfalfa, but wanted to shift to potato Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 26 farming, as it requires less water than alfalfa. Their plan was to plant 70 hectares of potato with pivots this year, but to shift to drip irrigation later. They have already ordered seed potatoes from France to plant on October/November, but Mr. Nasr was interested in bulking the CIP seed on his farm later when it becomes actual. The farm is located around 100 km north from Khartoum. Was International Mohamed Salih Abd Elrahim is one of the biggest potato producers in Sudan, he plants around 500-900 acres of potato per season in Omdurman and also bulks some imported seed potato. Elrahim has been farming potato in Sudan for forty years and he had very good insights about potato production in the country. Mr. Elrahim said that being able to produce its own seed potato would be a big win for Sudan and he also welcomed us to visit his potato farm when our Kenyan colleagues return. Farmers and farmer groups Omdurman farmer group The scoping team visited the leaders of the smallholder potato group in Omdurman. The group leaders were eager to start producing seed potato and some farmers were already farming with solar-powered drip irrigation systems. Fields cultivated with flush irrigation were also visited. Figure 15. Left: Omdurman farmer group leaders near Khartoum. Right: Fields cultivated with flush irrigation near Khartoum. Sudan Development Association (SDA) Met with the board of Sudan Development Association in the National Heritage House. SDA began operations upwards of 15 years ago having worked with various donors and partnered with international NGOs. SDA has large networks across Sudan and was ready to facilitate links to farmer groups. SDA to link CIP with female 1000 farmers and they said that it would not be a problem. It was agreed that another meeting will be organized with the farmer groups as the project advances. Issam Adam, a potato farmer in Nertite, Central Darfur Issam Adam told the scoping team that the potato farmers did not plant because the cost of seed was too high. A 50 kg bag costs 12,000 SDG, approximately 27 USD. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 27 In Nertiti, potato is planted on July. Near Zalingei, there is production during winter with irrigation. Typical yields vary from 4 to 6 tons per feddan, approximately 9.5 to 15 t/ha. Plant protection chemicals are normally used, however Issam could not name the chemistry. Surprisingly, farmers in Nertite don’t ridge which will cause significant yield losses4, and could have a negative impact of aeration and drainage. However, Nertite soils seemed to be very high in organic matter, so aeration should not be a matter. Farmers do not use industrial fertilizers in Nertite, normally just applying 0.2 tonnes of manure per hectare. The main market of the potatoes is Khartoum, although some amounts are being sold to Geneina, West Darfur, from where continue to Chad. Lack of cold storage capacity negatively affects potato production in the area. NGOs and UN Agencies COOPI Coopi has been working with pastoralists and farmers in Darfur since 2004. They have lately built dams up that hold up to 3 million cubic meters of water which has caused many pastoralists to settle down in North Darfur State. They are looking for new agricultural activities for pastoralists due to new sedentary lifestyle. There is a large EU grant coming up focusing on agricultural value chains and COOPI would be tentatively interested in involving CIP on their proposal. COOPI is a potential implementing partner and CIP will continue to develop a concept note with COOPI for North Darfur state build upon their infrastructure and communities to propose to donors (COOPI_Sudan_CIP related info). The World Food Program Cooperation with the WFP was discussed in two areas: including potato as new staple to the WFP’s school feeding program and supplying seed for and training small holder farmers in potato production in their resilience communities. Strong will to collaborate by aligning interventions to complement one another with an MoU between WFP/CIP (WFP_CIP Related info Sudan). Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) The scoping team met with Deputy FAO Representative Adam Vinaman Yao, Ph. D and with Assistant FAO Representative Elwathig Mukhtar. The FAO emphasized that they would be ready to scope synergies after the program receives green light from the ministry of agriculture. Mr. Mukhtar was very aware of issues with potato seed and suggested that the timing is right for such an initiative: the government is welcoming expertise outside of the country and a lot of donor money is going for developing agricultural value chains. It was agreed that Joona will keep Mr. Mukhtar in the loop and update them once the program moves ahead. 4 In Kenya, in small plots to compare traditional and improved hilling (ridging) with 478 farmers, hilling yielded an additional 7 tonnes potato per hectare, demonstrating the significant need to train farers in correct hilling. Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 28 WHH Sudan WHH operate in Kassala state with potential for potato interventions, especially rainfed production. Potential implementing partner, potential to develop CN leveraging from their foundations (WHH/CIP_Sudan_Technical meeting). Target rainfed and irrigated for both crops. The scoping team further NGOs and partners and will follow up as per the Annex 1 as the roadmap develops. Way forward Annex 1 roadmap outlines the way forward, other observations are below. Common themes among donors and partners: 1. To target rainfed production - to accompany increased production rather than rely on irrigation to accommodate the increased production. 2. Water use efficient technologies 3. Most focus on Darfur states, potential for interventions in a. Khartoum States b. Central Darfur State c. North Darfur state d. Kassala Sate e. North Kordofan State f. South Kordofan State – Nuba Mountains Unleashing Potato’s Potential in Sudan 29 References AfDB. (2020, Oct 19th). African Development Bank Group. 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