Farmers Reject New Price for Corn Crop

Sudan Events – Rehab Abdullah

Sudanese Farmers Association of the rain-fed sector was surprised by the issuance of a financing policy for the current summer agricultural season of 2024 issued by the Agricultural Bank, which set the price for corn at SDGs 35,000 .
The association described this policy as unfair, repulsive and deadly to the agricultural process, affirming that it was not the size of the challenges facing the country.
They considered in a statement (Saturday) that this disappointed them because they believed that the Agricultural Bank was working to encourage farmers and protect producers through marketing and financing.
The statement revealed that the Agricultural Bank set the price of corn scale at SDGs 35,000 per sack, with a difference of SDGs 22,500 from the market price, and they considered it a precedent that had not happened since the establishment of the Agricultural Bank, which continued to set the price based on the market price and added an incentive while taking into account the cost price.
The statement criticized the step of the group to discuss with the bank management the cost price, which came out high due to the rise in the prices of production inputs, most notably diesel, fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, machinery, etc., taking into consideration that the state has completely lifted its hand from supporting production, but rather increased “a camel’s weight” by imposing exorbitant fees and taxes that burdened farmers and made many of them languish in prisons and others left the production cycle.
The statement said that what the financing policy came with is disappointing and destructive to agriculture, particularly corn crops.
The group affirmed that if the competent authorities and the country’s leadership do not pay attention to this matter, this means aversion to agriculture and abandoning it.
The group advised farmers not to finance in the form of a loan if this amount is not adjusted so that they do not throw themselves into destruction and are thrown into prisons.
The group affirmed that these things fall upon the farmer who is threatened by insecurity and is coming out of a previous season with scarce rains full of pests such as locusts, birds, etc., which has made him burdened with debts.
The group said that it was waiting for encouraging policies from the state, headed by the Ministry of Finance and the Agricultural Bank, through rational policies that would contribute to increasing productivity and facilitating agricultural financing and operating requirements.