Ties that Bind: ICARDA and Sudan

Abstract

Sudan, together with Egypt, was at the core of ICARDA’s first outreach program, begun in 1979, just two years after the Center’s founding. Since the establishment of the Nile Valley Project (NVP) in that year, ICARDA has worked with the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) in Sudan to identify and overcome farm-level production constraints. In collaboration with extension services, the Sudan–ICARDA project transfers to farmers productivity-enhancing technologies, focused on four important food crops: faba bean, lentil, chickpea, and wheat. The work has been targeted to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers and improve crop yield and quality. ICARDA has been the primary source of germplasm for evaluation and for enhancing breeding programs, and fostering human resource development through training. Sudan reports success in its march toward self-sufficiency, thanks to progress in the agriculture sector. ICARDA believes that its research partnership with Sudan has contributed significantly to this success, through assistance in developing improved crop varieties and appropriate management technologies. These have resulted in increased yields and profits for poor farmers in the traditional growing areas. They have also led to the expansion of agriculture into neglected or previously uncultivated areas.