Gezira State Governor Al-Taher Ibrahim Al-Khair, while chairing a joint meeting between the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the ARC headquarters in Wad Madani, announced his government’s commitment to installing a refrigerated room for the ARC’s gene bank.
He affirmed that agricultural research is a fundamental pillar and reference point for successful agriculture in Sudan, reiterating his government’s continued support for restoring the ARC to its former excellence.
For his part, Acting Director of the ARC, Professor Ahmed Hassan Abu Assara, revealed the systematic destruction inflicted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia on the Corporation, particularly the gene bank, which was looted of 33 refrigerators containing more than 17,000 types of plant genetic strains. He stressed the importance of the gene bank in preserving these genetic resources.
He noted the resumption of operations and the germination of the preserved strains, emphasizing the need for refrigerators or cold storage rooms to maintain their viability and safety. He also praised the governor’s attention to the ARC’s revitalization.
