Atbara Chamber of Commerce SG Reveals Exciting Movement of Commodities: The situation is reassuring and there is a flow of food supplies

Atbara Chamber of Commerce SG Reveals Exciting Movement of Commodities
Muqallad: *The situation is reassuring and there is a flow of food supplies
*The cessation of Khartoum factories caused a commodity gap
* Atbara was not qualified to accommodate the arrivals, however
* We will import chickens in this case
Interviewed by : Nahid Oshi
The Secretary-General of the Chamber of Commerce, Atbara, Saif Al-Din Muqallad, has heralded the stability of the commercial movement in the River Nile State and the flow of basic goods to cover the needs of citizens and arrivals from Khartoum following the outbreak of the April 15 war of last year, along with those arriving from Gezira State in December of the same year. However, he acknowledged the existence of a gap in white meat due to the collapse of the poultry sector in Khartoum and the destruction of farms
He revealed the efforts of economic affairs in the state, in coordination with the Atbara Chamber of Commerce, to address all deficiencies and fill the gap that occurred in some food supplies, including (edible oils, flour, and sugar), in terms of the cessation of factories in Khartoum State due to the war, which led to a gap in those commodities.
Muqallad touched on many issues related to the living conditions in the city of Atbara during the following interview:
In Beginning, tell us about how the city of Atbara absorbed the huge amount of displaced after the outbreak of war?
The fact is that the city of Atbara, since the beginning of the events, was not qualified to accommodate the huge amount of arrivals, especially with regard to the infrastructure, as the infrastructure was not ready to accommodate the large amount of displaced people, but during the first exodus from Khartoum State, Atbara was able to reconcile its situation by providing a refuge for the arrivals, together with some homes of people or in some of the schools that became a place of shelter for those arriving from Khartoum and then for those arriving from Medani.
So how was Atbara able to absorb the first shock?
Atbara was able to absorb the initial shock of the displacement of those arriving to it and was able to provide shelters and consumer materials, and through the management of its markets it was able to provide food supplies. He confirmed that the period from the beginning of the war until now has passed peacefully (after a year) except for some crises in some consumer goods. In the meantime, the economic affairs in the state, in coordination with the Atbara Chamber of Commerce, were able to develop plans to address all the shortcomings and fill the gap that occurred in some food supplies, including (edible oils, flour, and sugar), in terms of the cessation of factories in Khartoum State due to the war, which led to a gap in those goods.
How were the goods provided under those circumstances?
The impact of the large quantities of arrivals was significant and contributed to the pressure on the markets, which required finding quick solutions, including heading towards the Arab Republic of Egypt to import food and beverages. Even drinking water was imported from Egypt, and we were able to provide goods in the markets so that there would not be a scarcity of daily consumables and to secure the necessities of living for the citizen to prevent living instability, which is reflected in the security situation.
The state Chamber of Commerce was able to address the issue of the availability of commodities, and a decision was made not to interfere with economic affairs in setting prices when there was a scarcity of goods. It was able to deal wisely during that period and provide all consumer materials, and they were offered according to free market prices without the interference of official authorities, which contributed to the availability of necessary materials for citizens and displaced and maintain the stability of commercial activity.
After a year of war, there was an increase in the volume of trade exchange with Egypt and the rest of the states of Sudan, and now Atbara has a large amount of land commercial activity after the cessation of commercial activity in the city of Wad Medani. The amount of land trucks that enter or leave Atbara for re-export is huge. Atbara was able to It will be the destination for all exporters, importers and goods from the north and east of Sudan, and it has been able to be an area for open trade exchange, which prompted the state authorities to think about the necessity of having a free zone, a dry port, and an open office for the Ministry of Commerce. These steps would compensate for the loss to other regions. The issue of re-export from Atbara to the rest of the states.
But what is noticed is that there is a gap in white meat?
It is true that in the recent period there has been some gap in white meat and a scarcity of chickens and eggs as a result of the loss of farms that produce brood stock and chicks for laying or broiler chickens due to the war in Khartoum State, which was supplying all farms with chicks and broilers. The war has affected scarcity, but there are plans to avoid it. It is rare for farms to be established in the state or the trend towards importing chickens if the white meat crisis worsens. I am reassured by the availability of consumer materials, as the state is safe, and the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Affairs is closely monitoring the markets in preparation to cover any gap in the necessary consumer materials and provide a decent life for citizens and displaced, in addition to the Chamber of Commerce. In coordination with the Trade and Supply Office, it has a representative in Atbara to facilitate the commercial and industrial movement of import and export of goods.
How are the conditions now in Atbara?
The situation so far is reassuring, and commercial activity is witnessing stability and availability of consumables.