KHARTOUM – Sudan's Investment Authority has allocated an area of approximately two million acres for agricultural projects run by Arabs investors, namely from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar and Lebanon. Sudani Investment Minister Sadiq Muhammad Ali said in a Friday statement on Friday that the authority granted investment holdings in the states of River Nile and Kassala, Shamaliya, Kordofan and Sennar. Preparation for cultivation takes time, Ali said, adding that production should begin in the next few years. Over the next five years, production on investor-held land would cover demand for a range of crops, he claimed. Ali stressed the important role Arab investments would play in achieving greater food security for Sudanese citizens, pointing to a lack of investment in agriculture. Sudan has been ranked as the third country in the world in terms of agricultural potential, according to the minister, because of its fertile lands, vast open spaces and strategic location. The latest Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (IFAD) statistics state that the food gap in Arab and African countries has reached about $47 billion, of which $34 billion comes from Arab countries and $13 billion from Sub-Saharan African countries. — Agencies
