Adoption of improved wheat technology in the Sudan: survey results

Hamid Faki, Aden A. Aw-Hassan, Abdelmoneim Ahmed, Abdalla B Elahmadi, Mahmoud Solh. (1/9/1998). Adoption of improved wheat technology in the Sudan: survey results. Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

Abstract

It is predicted that the domestic consumption of wheat in the Sudan will rise rapidly, particularly in urban areas. The contribution of local production has been low, resulting in an increasing dependency on imports and a high demand for foreign exchange. A strategy for domestic self-sufficiency has been pursued since the mid- 1980s, through area expansion, reduction of price subsidies and promotion of the use of improved high-yield technology. Recently, policy reforms have incorporated the provision of incentives to boost wheat production. Research on wheat has been intensified in order to develop and verify yield-improving and stabilizing technology. This intensification has relied on cooperation between researchers, farmers, and extension and administrative institutions. Wheat-production packages have been developed, the main components of which are improved cultivars, adequate land preparation, timely sowing, efficient sowing methods, sufficient fertilizer application and judicious water application. These technologies have revealed a high potential for boosting wheat yields as well as financial returns to producers. Their adoption has been instrumental in increasing domestic wheat production.