25% of food production goes to waste

In the news, the strategic reserves department at the Agricultural Bank of Sudan (ABS) has acknowledged that lack of storage capacity costs the country a quarter of its grain production.

The department’s director, Fadul Hassan Mohamed disclosed that 25% of grain production was lost due to poor storage.

Mohamed noted the gap between sorghum production, which amounted to 4.3 million tons, and its storage capacity of merely 650,000 tons.

Roughly a quarter of the country’s food production is either lost or wasted every year due to weak infrastructure including poor storage and discrepancy between storage capacity and actual production.

In the above context, the country’s annual wheat consumption is around 2 million tons, while its production is only 300,000 tons.

Mohamed, who was quoted by Sudan News Agency (SUNA), revealed there are 1.2 million bags of sorghum currently in storage on top of 1.5 million bags intended for export.

The director further added that there is 164,000 tons of wheat in storage and pointed out the expected arrival of an additional 100,000 tons from India this month.

Mohamed described production levels of sorghum, wheat, millet and other grains as "reassuring" in all states including Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile and war-affected areas.

In 2010, the former minister of agriculture, Abdel-Haleem al-Mutafi, said that Sudan targets self-sufficiency in wheat production in five years’ time and also plans to expand output of other grain crops.

It is very clear by now that most problems facing the country have existed for a very long time. Although perfectly aware of their existence, relevant authorities have failed to come up with an established method for dealing with such issues, particularly in as vital a sector as agriculture sector, which requires good strategic planning, dedication and follow-up.   

The main issue- in this case then- is food lost due to weak infrastructure including poor storage, processing and packaging facilities that lack the capacity to keep produce fresh. Subsequently food losses also mean lost income for small farmers and higher prices for poor consumers.

The key to the solution lies in strengthening food supply chains, urging investment in infrastructure and transportation, along with increased attention to food storage, processing and packaging.

Last but not least, making a simple effort through agricultural guidance and counseling among farmers and other groups operating in agriculture to reduce wastage of food production.