VZCZCXRO6353
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0359 0451139
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141139Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1438
INFO RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000359 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR D, AF/SPG, AND EB/TPP/ABT/ATP 
ALSO PASS TO USAID/W 
USAID FOR OFDA 
USDA FOR FAS 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
USUN FOR TMALY 
NAIROBI AND CAIRO ALSO FOR FAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR PGOV PREL EAID SU
SUBJECT:  SUDAN GRAIN PRODUCTION ABOVE AVERAGE 
 
REF:  KHARTOUM 0171 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Production of sorghum, millet, and wheat 
is projected to be somewhat above average for 2006.  The 
government has set a floor price of about USD 240 per 
metric ton for sorghum, but is not currently purchasing 
grain.  The dislocation of the population because of the 
Darfur conflict has disrupted the traditional movement of 
agricultural workers and tended to increase the cost of 
production.  Despite the above-average harvest, WFP 
imports will continue, in part because of high cost of 
local production.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------- 
Outlook Good For Harvest 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Pol/econ officer met with Director of the 
Statistics and Planning Department at the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Egaimy, (protect) on 
February 9 to discuss the outlook for the grain harvest. 
Egaimy said that, due to good rains, this year's harvest 
should be above average, with a total production of 
wheat, sorghum, and millet in the range of 5.3 to 5.5 
million metric tons.  He stated that 100 percent of the 
millet crop is from rain fed land, while only 70 percent 
of the sorghum crop depends on rainfall. 
 
¶3. (U) The Director explained that the government sets a 
"floor price" for sorghum, the most important grain.  The 
government plans to buy at the floor price and put the 
grain into a reserve.  This year the floor price is set 
at about USD 240 per metric ton (calculated at an 
exchange rate of 230 dinar to the dollar); however, the 
government not actually buying grain.  The market price 
for sorghum is currently somewhat below the floor price. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Conflict Disrupted Seasonal Labor 
--------------------------------- 
¶4. (U) In explaining the traditional patterns of 
agricultural production, Egaimy noted that the conflict 
in Darfur has disrupted the movement of agricultural 
workers.  In the past, workers from the marginal areas of 
Darfur would often spend two to three months each year 
working in areas such as Kordofan, Blue Nile, or even 
Gezira.  The conflict has resulted in these workers being 
settled in IDP camps in Darfur or in Khartoum. According 
to Egaimy, one result has been a shortage of labor in 
some areas, which has tended to raise the cost of 
production. (Comment:  This higher cost of local 
production encourages imports of food under the WFP 
program, reftel para 9.  In turn, the import of food 
potentially discourages local production and probably 
tends to further interrupt the traditional migration of 
agricultural workers.  End comment.) 
 
¶5. (SBU) Egaimy (protect) said that he would like to see 
the WFP program ended, as Sudan should be an exporter of 
food and not an importer.  However, he said that Sudan is 
not producing anything near its potential and attributed 
this to lack of government support for agriculture.  He 
singled out poor government policies in respect to 
agricultural credit, land holding, and the system of 
purchases for the grain reserve as examples of government 
failure. 
 
 
HUME