Excerpt from The Agricultural Economy of the Sudan: November 1958 Irrigation is of vital importance to the Republic of Sudan. In parts of the central zone and practically all of the northern zone, agricultural activities depend almost entirely upon irriga tion, as rainfall is inadequate or totally lacking. Basin irrigation exists in a few places. How ever, most of the irrigation process employs gravity flow or lift techniques ranging in size and efficiency from the traditional shaduf (counterbalanced dipper) and saqiya (persian water wheel) to large-bore, diesel-powered pumps. A gross area of about 2. 5 million acres is now irrigated, close to one-half of which is under gravity irrigation in the well-publicized Gezira Scheme. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This new volume provides an authoritative source of information on Sudan's agriculture up to the present. It includes detailed background on agricultural production systems in various regions of the country, as well as an overview of Sudanese vegetation, climate, hydrology, geology and other important agricultural impact systems. Twenty authors with first-hand experience and specialized knowledge of the area have written an important reference for all researchers in this field.

By the mid-1980s, Sudan’s economy, society and political framework were on the point of disintegration. Civil war was exacerbating the effects of an already major famine. An unpopular government was resorting to ever more extreme measures in order to remain in power. The imposition of a particularly oppressive and hash interpretation of sharia law was heightening racial and religious tensions. Internationally, Sudan was faced by a debt crisis which was apparently insoluble, and which threatened to undermine completely what was left of the economy. This book, first published in 1988, examines the complex economic and social processes which led to this situation – emphasising the part played by the state itself. The book combines detailed multi-disciplinary analyses of Sudan in the post-colonial era with a consideration of possibilities for the future.

Urbanisation and long-lasting civil wars and conflict mean that the demographic pattern in Sudan is changing drastically. Nevertheless, 60%-80 % of Sudanese engage in subsistence agriculture. Agriculture remains a crucial sector in the economy as a major source of raw materials, food and foreign exchange. It employs the majority of the labour force, and serves as a potential vehicle for diversifying the economy. However, no rigorous studies have explained productivity in this sector in relation to food security. The situation has worsened because agriculture in particular has been neglected since the advent of oil production in the early 2000s. Moreover, Sudan's agricultural growth has been unbalanced, with the majority of irrigated agriculture concentrated in the Centre and a huge disparity in development indicators between the best- and worst-performing regions.Thus, studies show that the vast majority of Sudanese are reported to be food insecure, especially internally displaced persons and in conflict regions such as Darfur, Kordofan and other regions.