Abstract: | Irrigation with water resources of the Nile basin offers all potentialities for Sudan to develop a settled farming system, based on labour intensive methods of crop production. Although the author is aware of certain limitations involved in the scheme, for instance a small number of crops may be grown successfully, whereas the tenant-cultivators should have the security of their own supplies of foodgrain, he foresees many benefits, provided that a sophisticated system of crop rotation will be applied. Whereas capital and operating costs of the irrigation project can be reduced to a minimum, so that returns on government investment may be 10 to 15 per cent per annum, the returns on investment in hydro-electric power are to be considered rather modest. Notes, maps, tables, ref. |