Pilot farm project to launch in Sudan

With the area for a farm in land that was leased by the General Directorate of Agricultural Enterprises (TİGEM) in Sudan identified, the necessary investments to get the pilot project going will be initiated this year.

As the plan proceeds, Turkish private sector firms will be invited to invest in the region.

In recent years, Turkey has been sustaining a cooperation policy with the African nations that is based on a win-win principle.

In accordance with this policy, an agreement to increase the agriculture production and trade with Sudan was signed in 2015.

The agreement stipulated the establishment of a joint venture by TİGEM and Sudanese Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The pilot farm project will be carried out on an area of 12,500 hectares and the Turkish firms are expected to engage in agricultural investment projects in five regions on a land of 780,500 hectares.

The project was expedited following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent visit to Sudan, where he was accompanied by Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Ahmet Eşref Fakıbaba.

According to the information Anadolu Agency (AA) obtained from Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry and TİGEM, the establishment of the joint venture is almost complete. Also the Council of Ministers approved the establishment of a company named the Turkish Sudanese International Agriculture and Livestock Inc. (Türk Sudan Uluslararası Tarım ve Hayvancılık AŞ).

While identifying the area on which the pilot farm will be established, TİGEM conducted land analyses.

The project aims to produce a number of agricultural produce that cannot be produced in Turkey due to reasons related to the country's climate.

The goal of the project is also to ensure the supply of agricultural raw material that is required for the Turkish industry relying on agricultural production and to raise the export of the processed agricultural produce.