Omer al-Hassan, a farmer displaced two years ago by Sudan's internal war, now faces deeper financial ruin and food insecurity as a new conflict in the Middle East drives up fuel and fertilizer prices, threatening to push millions into famine. This escalation forces farmers across Sudan to reduce production or abandon planting, jeopardizing the food supply for 19 million people already facing acute hunger.
Who Bears the Cost
Al-Hassan and 10 other farmers on his land cannot handle agricultural costs without state support, leading to production cuts and fertilizer rationing for crops like onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. They had spent two months clearing weed-choked land, stating they "struggled so much, one had to sometimes skip a meal."
Mohammed al-Badri, another farmer, could afford to plant only half his farm due to rising costs, leaving the remainder fallow, stating, “The rest of it is nothing.”
Farmers, already strained by the internal war between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, now contend with surging prices for fertilizer, gasoline for farm equipment, and diesel for irrigation pumps.
The Gulf region, where hundreds of commercial ships have been stranded for weeks due to Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, provides over half of Sudan’s imported fertilizer that arrives by sea.
Fuel prices have increased by approximately 30%, while food prices across Sudan are also rising.
Abdoun Berqawi, a farmer in Gezira, a primary food-producing region, described the escalating costs as “a dangerous reality” for farmers who will struggle without state intervention.
Berqawi reported that a 50-kilogram bag of urea fertilizer now costs about $50, a sharp increase from $11 one year ago, and tractor fuel has risen from $2.50 to $8 per gallon.
Melaku Yirga, Mercy Corps vice president for Africa, stated the Iran war has triggered a “dangerous chain reaction ... at the wrong moment” as farmers prepare for planting season.
Yirga noted that people are “buying less food, cutting or skipping meals, selling assets and taking greater risks just to survive,” with some families resorting to “leaves or animal feed.”
Merghany Omar, a farmer in al-Matammah, warned that farmers who secured bank loans risk jail if poor crop yields prevent repayment, illustrating the system of debt bondage enforced by the state, and onion farming, a local staple, no longer covers planting costs.
Samy Guessabi, country director for Action Against Hunger in Sudan, confirmed these conditions exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, including currency depreciation, with remote agricultural zones in Kordofan, White Nile, Darfur, and Blue Nile experiencing the most severe impact.
Even in Sudan’s urban centers, vegetable and dairy prices have climbed by about 40% due to fuel price spikes.
The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) estimates 19 million people across Sudan face acute hunger, with many families on the brink of famine, following famine declarations one year ago in Darfur and Kordofan.
The State's Complicity
Officials in Sudan’s agriculture ministry did not immediately respond to requests for details on how they are addressing the crisis, while a member of the military media accompanied the Associated Press during its visit.
Mathilde Vu, an advocacy manager with the Norwegian Refugee Council, reported that fuel shortages in some areas result from warring parties blocking essential supplies, with local fuel markets heavily bombed amid a “senseless escalation” of drone attacks.
Global Capital's Reach
The humanitarian response has been significantly delayed by the Iran war and its impact on supply chains.
WFP shipping chief Henrik Hansen stated that Sudan-bound food assistance shipments are traveling 9,000 kilometers farther, adding costs and time, partly because many vessels avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait due to threats from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
Mubarak al-Nour, a farmer and former parliamentarian in Gedaref, warned that even if farmers secure fertilizer, delays could cause them to miss the seasonal planting period from June to November.
Some farmers are adapting by switching to cheaper crops requiring less or no fertilizer, scaling back on corn, sesame, and other rain-fed crops, a direct consequence of the market's pressures on the working class.