Sudan’s Government has announced the creation of a banking finance portfolio exceeding 3 trillion Sudanese pounds to support the 2026 summer agricultural season and strengthen the country’s productive sector.
Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim announced the initiative last Week, as farmers face major challenges, including shortages of funding, improved seeds, fertilizers, fuel and rising production costs worsened by the conflict that began in April 2023.
The Finance Ministry said it would cover a significant share of agricultural insurance costs to reduce pressure on farmers. Ibrahim also called for organising small-scale producers into agricultural cooperatives to improve access to government support, technical assistance and farming inputs.
The financing plan was agreed during a meeting involving the Finance Minister, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan, the Agricultural Bank and commercial bank executives. Central Bank Governor Amna Mirghani said the bank would contribute 20% of the portfolio’s value, while each commercial bank would provide at least 5% of the target amount.
The Government aims to cultivate millions of feddans during the season, including 1.2 million feddans in the Gezira scheme, 7.6 million feddans in Gedaref State, and 3.339 million feddans in White Nile State.
The announcement comes after the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned in May that Sudan’s agricultural output could suffer losses of up to 40% due to reduced rainfall, damaged irrigation systems and high farming costs. Agriculture and livestock remain critical to Sudan’s economy, employing about 80% of the workforce and contributing 31.8% of gross domestic product, according to Central Bank data.
