Sudan Fuel Shortages Damage Crops in El Gezira as Food Prices Soar, Bakeries Strike in North Kordofan

08/11/2026 19:13

Cartoon: Omar Dafallah / RD

Fuel shortages and soaring production costs are damaging agricultural crops in Sudan’s El Gezira state, while rising food and transport prices are placing further pressure on household budgets. Reports of a general strike by bakeries in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, has disrupted bread supplies amid a dispute over production costs and bread prices.

A farmer in the El Gezira agricultural scheme, identified as Mohammed, told Radio Dabanga that large areas of the maize crop had been damaged because of a shortage of petrol needed to operate irrigation pumps.

He said the price of a four-gallon container of petrol had reached SDG600,000, forcing him to search for fuel outside the state to save the remainder of his crop. He warned that declining agricultural production could further deepen food insecurity and hunger.

‘Food and transport costs soar’

Food prices have also risen sharply across markets in El Gezira, including those in El Maseed, El Ma’aliq and El Kamlin.

Ahmed Mohammed El Khair, a resident of the state, told Radio Dabanga that the prices of essential commodities, particularly maize, lentils, sesame and wheat, had witnessed sharp increases.

He said a sack of maize now costs between SDG800,000 and SDG820,000, while a sack of wheat has reached around SDG780,000. Lentils sell for SDG850,000 per sack, while Kabkabiya (type of legume) costs between SDG300,000 and SDG450,000.

A sack of sesame has reached SDG860,000, while Egyptian beans cost between SDG1.1 million and SDG1.2 million, depending on the size and quality of the beans.

El Khair said the price increases had severely affected residents’ purchasing power and reduced market activity, as most people had low or no incomes. He described the situation as a serious concern for residents and called on government authorities to intervene.

Transport costs have also surged, with the cost of transporting goods in Omdurman exceeding SDG2 million. In Kassala, taxi fares have reached SDG20,000 per passenger, adding to the growing cost of living.

‘Bakeries strike in El Obeid’

All bakeries in El Obeid have closed in a general strike over a dispute with local authorities concerning bread prices and rising production costs.

Journalist Omar Mohammed Omar told Radio Dabanga that the complete shutdown had disrupted bread supplies across the city, leaving residents struggling to access a basic food staple.

He criticised the size and quality of the bread being sold, saying the loaves did not meet the expected standards. He said bread prices had previously reached SDG2,000 and, in some cases, SDG3,000, amid demands for prices to reflect the actual weight, size and nutritional value of each loaf.

The strike has disrupted daily life in El Obeid, particularly for families and schoolchildren who depend on bread for breakfast.