Water and Africa 
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| Title: | The Trade-Off between Economic Efficiency and Food Self-Sufficiency in Using Sudan's Irrigated Land Resources |
| Author: | Hassan, Rashid M. |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Periodical: | Food Policy |
| Volume: | 25 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Period: | February |
| Pages: | 35-54 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Sudan |
| Subjects: | food policy irrigation wheat cotton Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Development and Technology Economics and Trade |
| External link: | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-9192(99)00063-9 |
| Abstract: | A shift in Sudan's food production strategy towards more reliance on the irrigated sector for food supply has been induced by the severe food shortages following the early 1980s drought and reduced availability of food aid. Coupled with the high yield potential of irrigated wheat under modern technology revealed by recent research results, this led to significant expansions in the areas of irrigated food crops, especially wheat, after 1989. This paper uses domestic resource cost analysis to examine whether the expansion in irrigated wheat production represents the most efficient option for using Sudan's irrigated land resources as compared to cotton. The analysis shows that currently one ha of exported cotton generates economic returns that are sufficient to import c. 50 percent more wheat than can be domestically produced from the same ha under average farmers' practices in Gezira. Moreover, cotton has larger employment benefits than wheat. Priority should therefore be given to increased investment in research on improving cotton production technology, marketing and lint quality. On the other hand, more effective policy measures for faster adoption of improved wheat technologies should be introduced. Bibliogr., notes, sum. |
