Sudan: Sudan Fuel Shortages Damage Crops in El Gezira As Food Prices Soar, Bakeries Strike in North Kordofan

Fuel shortages and soaring production costs are damaging crops in Sudan's El Gezira state, while rising food and transport prices are straining household budgets. Bakeries in North Kordofan's El Obeid are on strike, disrupting bread supplies. A farmer in El Gezira, Mohammed, reported that a lack of petrol for irrigation pumps has damaged a significant portion of the maize crop.

The price of petrol has surged to SDG600,000 for a four-gallon container, forcing him to search outside the state for fuel to save his remaining crop. He warned that declining agricultural production could deepen food insecurity and hunger. Food prices have also skyrocketed across markets in El Gezira, with essential commodities like maize, lentils, sesame, and wheat seeing sharp increases.

A sack of maize now costs SDG800,000 to SDG820,000, while wheat has reached SDG780,000 per sack. Lentils sell for SDG850,000 per sack, and Kabkabiya costs between SDG300,000 and SDG450,000. Sesame has reached SDG860,000 per sack, and Egyptian beans range from SDG1.1 million to SDG1.2 million. The price hikes have adversely affected residents' purchasing power and reduced market activity, as many have low or no incomes.

A transport cost surge is also adding to the growing cost of living, with Omdurman's goods transportation costing over SDG2 million and taxi fares in Kassala reaching SDG20,000 per passenger. All bakeries in El Obeid have closed in a general strike over bread prices and production costs. The strike has severely disrupted bread supplies, leaving residents struggling to access a basic food staple.

The loaves being sold are criticized for their size, quality, and nutritional value, with prices reaching SDG2,000 and SDG3,000, sometimes not reflecting the actual weight, size, and nutritional value of each loaf.