Port Sudan |December 2025

Sustain Africa, a pan-African initiative hosted by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and implemented in partnership with CIMMYT, has delivered a major shipment of agricultural inputs to Sudan as part of efforts to revive food production following more than two years of conflict.

The initiative confirmed the successful arrival of 37,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser and 5,200 metric tonnes of Irish seed potato at Port Sudan, marking a significant step toward restoring agricultural activity in one of the country’s most severely affected sectors.

Sudan is currently facing its most acute food security crisis in decades. Annual fertiliser imports, which typically average around 450,000 metric tonnes, collapsed to an estimated 50,000 metric tonnes in 2024, severely limiting farmers’ ability to sustain crop production.

Market-based recovery approach

The shipments form part of Sustain Africa’s broader crisis response and resilience-building programme, which focuses on improving the availability, affordability and effective use of fertilisers and other essential agricultural inputs. The Sustain Sudan programme aims to rebuild local agri-input markets and help farming communities regain the capacity to produce food independently as the country works toward longer-term recovery and stability.

The programme links international suppliers with local agrodealers, unlocks access to finance and provides technical assistance on the ground. This market-driven model is designed to leverage the existing strengths of Sudan’s agricultural private sector rather than relying solely on direct aid.

“Restoring agriculture is essential for long-term stability and food security,” said Ben Valk, Global Director of Sustain Sudan. “The determination of Sudan’s farming and agribusiness community to regain self-sufficiency is evident across the sector.”

Supporting farmers beyond inputs

In addition to supplying fertilisers and seed, the initiative integrates agronomic support to ensure effective use and improved productivity. Dr Moses Siambi, CIMMYT’s Regional Director for Africa, said combining inputs with technical guidance is critical to rebuilding livelihoods.

“By pairing fertiliser and seed deliveries with practical agronomic support, we can help farmers restart production, increase yields and protect their livelihoods,” Siambi said.

Local agrodealers have already begun distributing the inputs to suppliers and farmers across Gezira, River Nile, Northern, Kassala, White Nile and Sinnar states, with further rollouts planned. Sustain Africa acknowledged the role of local agrodealers in managing the supply chain from importation through to delivery.

Call for further partnerships

Sustain Africa reaffirmed its commitment to delivering fertiliser and other agri-inputs to farmers operating under crisis conditions and called for greater collaboration with business partners, financial institutions and development investors to expand support for Sudan’s agricultural sector.

The initiative emphasised that its intervention is non-political, market-based and focused solely on addressing urgent farmer and market needs during the recovery period.

About Sustain Africa
Sustain Africa is a pan-African initiative hosted by IFDC, working with partners to strengthen fertiliser and agri-input markets in fragile and crisis-affected settings.

For more information:
Ben Valk – bvalk@sustainafrica-initiative.org
Murtada Khalid – m.khalid@cgiar.org