Sudan’s farmers are ready to return – private investment could get them there

The war in Sudan has devastated the economy and agricultural production, but a UN-backed plan aims to mobilise private sector investment to help farmers return to their fields.The roadmap for recovery, and the potential for some $155 million in external investment, were among the outcomes of a three-day dialogue held this week in Khartoum, organized by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Sudan’s Ministry of Finance. More than 300 participants from 20 countries – representing the Government, financial institutions, the national and international private sector, farmers’ and trade associations, as well as other stakeholders – registered for the event. A ‘stepping stone’ forward“This dialogue is a stepping stone towards moving forward in bringing more private sector engagement, which ultimately socioeconomic recovery depends on,” said Arvind Kumar, Team Leader for Recovery and Resilience at the UNDP Country Office in Sudan. He told UN News that focusing on the private sector is critical because it provides some 98 per cent of jobs. Speaking from the capital, Mr. Kumar described an economy that has been broken by war but not completely paralysed. Sudan’s farmers continue to grow cr...