Madani, Jan. 13, 2026 (SUNA) – Al-Gezira Scheme Administration announced plans to plant 800,000 feddans of winter crops this season, including 210,000 feddans of wheat, citing financing challenges and rising production costs.Governor of Al-Gezira Scheme Engineer Ibrahim Mustafa said during a press briefing on Tuesday that the wheat cultivation area had been reduced from 400,000 feddans last season to 210,000 feddans this year. He attributed the cut to the high cost of agricultural inputs and financing impediments faced by farmers.Engineer Mustafa noted that the project administration is working to secure funding through the Agricultural Bank of Sudan and several international organizations. He also announced plans to cultivate 9,000 feddans with improved seeds to meet requirements for the upcoming agricultural season.Al-Gezira Scheme Governor reviewed the extensive damage inflicted on the scheme, including the systematic destruction and looting of irrigation networks and infrastructure, as well as the impoverishment of farmers through the theft of machinery and crop stocks.He outlined measures taken by the project management, with backing from the state’s top leadership, including the provision of a significant number of tractors, engagement with international organizations to support producers, integration of livestock into parts of the scheme within the agricultural cycle to mitigate the impact of the war, and the supply of machinery for cleaning irrigation canals and fuel for farmers.AS/BH