OMDURMAN: Two years after Sudan's war forced him from his land, Omer al-Hassan returned to rebuild his farm. But now a new conflict in the Middle East threatens to push him deeper into financial loss and food insecurity as fuel and fertilizer prices rise.
Al-Hassan and other farmers in Sudan are bracing for an expensive planting season in the weeks ahead. Some told The Associated Press they are reducing production or not planting at all — dangerous news for a country where three years of war have left millions hungry.
The Iran war has "affected everything related to agriculture," al-Hassan said as he and others pulled onions from the ground. They had spent two months clearing the weed-choked land, "plowed the soil and we said God bless, and even then we struggled so much, one had to sometimes skip a meal."
He and 10 other farmers who work his land said they can't handle agricultural costs without government support, forcing cuts in production and rationing of fertilizer on his farm that also produces potatoes and tomatoes.
Another farmer, Mohammed al-Badri, said he could afford to plant only half his farm because of the rising costs: "The rest of it is nothing."
The Gulf region, where hundreds of commercial ships have been stranded for weeks because of Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, provides over half of Sudan's fertiliser that's imported by sea. And fuel prices have shot up by around 30%.
That means food prices in Sudan are jumping, too.
Experts warn of a 'dangerous chain reaction'
Sorghum. Millet. Sesame. These staple crops for Sudan are now at risk.
Farmers already stressed by the war at home between Sudan's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are now watching costs rise for fertilizer, gasoline to power farm equipment and diesel for irrigation pumps.
The rising costs have created "a dangerous reality" for farmers who will struggle without government intervention, said Abdoun Berqawi, a farmer in Gezira, one of the country's main food-producing regions.
Berqawi said a 50-kilogram (110-pound) bag of urea fertilizer now costs about $50, up from $11 the same period last year. Fuel for tractors has risen from $2.50 to $8 per gallon.
Officials in Sudan's agriculture ministry didn't immediately respond to requests for details on how they are addressing the crisis.
A member of the military media accompanied the AP during its visit, including during interviews. The AP retains full editorial control of its content.
The Iran war has triggered a "dangerous chain reaction ... at the wrong moment" as farmers prepare for planting season, said Melaku Yirga, Mercy Corps vice president for the Africa region, who recently visited Sudan's provinces of Kassala and Gedaref, another top food-producing region.
"People are buying less food, cutting or skipping meals, selling assets and taking greater risks just to survive," Yirga said. "Mothers are being forced to make painful choices about who gets to eat the little food that is available, while some families are resorting to leaves or animal feed just to get by."
And farmers who took bank loans risk jail if poor crop yields leave them unable to repay, said Merghany Omar, a farmer in al-Matammah in River Nile province. He said onion farming, a local staple, no longer covers planting costs there.
All of this is occurring alongside existing vulnerabilities including currency depreciation, said Samy Guessabi, country director for Action Against Hunger in Sudan.
People in some of the country's most remote areas, Kordofan, White Nile, Darfur and Blue Nile, are hurting the most where "agricultural zones are remote and poorly connected," he said.
Few know better the pain of hunger than farmers
Even in Sudan's urban areas, vegetables and dairy have risen by about 40% due to fuel price spikes.
Already, the war at home had left many people hungry. The U.N. World Food Program estimates that 19 million people across Sudan are facing acute hunger, with many families on the brink of famine. Last year, famine was declared in two major regions , Darfur and Kordofan.
Now, the humanitarian response has been badly delayed by the Iran war and its effects on supply chains.
WFP has said its Sudan-bound food assistance shipments are traveling 9,000 kilometers (5,500 miles) farther to reach their destination, adding costs and time.
That's in part because many vessels also avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, another crucial waterway, according to WFP shipping chief Henrik Hansen. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have threatened some shipping there.
Mubarak al-Nour, a farmer and former parliamentarian in Gedaref, said even if farmers in Sudan secure fertilizer, delays mean they could miss the planting season that runs from June to November. Some farmers are switching to growing cheaper crops that require less or no fertilizer and scaling back on growing corn, sesame and other rain-fed crops.
Even if farming supplies reach Sudan in time, the battle is not over.
Fuel shortages in some areas are the result of warring parties blocking essential supplies, said Mathilde Vu, an advocacy manager with the Norwegian Refugee Council. She said local fuel markets have been heavily bombed in recent months amid a "senseless escalation" of drone attacks nationwide.
