The Wheat Seed Sector in the Sudan

Abstract

The African Development Bank is currently funding the project “Support to Agricultural Research for Development – Strategic Crops” (SARD-SC), within which twelve countries participate in the wheat sub-project coordinated by ICARDA. These countries are grouped based on an agroclimate, and Sudan provides the ‘hub’ for work in the East African Lowlands. The Agricultural Research Corporation of Sudan (ARC) has a long history and rich experience in wheat research, particularly for breeding heat-tolerant varieties it is therefore well-placed to host this program. Despite this positive research background, the national wheat production in Sudan has decreased in recent years, and this is a serious drain on the economy because of the rising demand for bread and the high cost of imported grain. The government is committed to restoring wheat production and has announced ambitious annual targets. This can be achieved by both productivity gains and an increase in the planted area. The lack of good quality seed is widely regarded as a major factor contributing to the low performance of wheat crops in recent years, and this reflects a wider concern about the overall status of the seed sector. The Government of Sudan requested ICARDA to review the wheat seed sector, identify key constraints, and make recommendations for its revitalization. The inception workshop of the SARD-SC held in March 2013 had already prioritized seed as a key component of technology transfer. Therefore, ICARDA, as the coordinator of the project undertakes this mission with the main focus on wheat but also considers the wider seed issues in Sudan. This dual purpose was emphasised in briefings with senior Ministry officials at the start of the mission. Although the institutional and regulatory aspects of this study are specific to Sudan, the analysis presented in this report may be relevant to other countries within the sub-project because the supply of wheat seed does present some generic challenges that arise from its biological and agronomic characteristics.