KHARTOUM (SUNA) – Finance Minister Dr. Gebreil Ibrahim welcomed the return of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) and the resumption of its operations from Sudan, highlighting the country’s vast agricultural potential and natural resources, including fertile land, abundant water resources and extensive areas suitable for cultivation. He stressed that these resources offer significant opportunities to increase production, particularly amid anticipated global challenges related to food security and water scarcity. Addressing the Agricultural Investment and Trade Forum on Value Chains for Priority Commodities in Sudan on Sunday, Dr. Gebreil called for the effective use of available resources to achieve sustainable development and boost agricultural production. He also highlighted Sudan’s comparative advantages in producing agricultural crops.  The finance minister emphasized the need for concerted efforts to increase production and expand agricultural investment opportunities. He noted that the ministry encourages farmers to benefit from agricultural insurance services to mitigate risks and enhance the stability of productive activities. He explained that various institutions and organizations offer services in agricultural insurance and financing, including international and regional financing institutions, which can help support farmers and encourage investment in the sector. For his part, AOAD Director-General Professor Ibrahim Al-Dukhairi said the forum was part of a series of investment and trade forums being organized by the organization in several Arab countries, including Somalia, Syria, Mauritania and Egypt. The forums are being held under a trade facilitation project managed by one of the entities within the Islamic Development Bank Group. He explained that the project targets strategic crops based on each country’s comparative advantages. In Sudan, the focus is on gum Arabic and groundnuts, which he described as key crops of major economic importance. Al-Dukhairi said the forum provides a platform for discussing key issues related to the development of agricultural value chains through five main thematic areas. He affirmed that rebuilding Sudan’s agricultural sector is one of the organization’s priorities, noting the sector’s importance to the national economy, given that a large proportion of Sudanese people depend on agriculture for employment and income. Al-Dukhairi also revealed an established partnership between AOAD and the Bank of Khartoum to support agricultural financing and investment, including solar energy projects in the Northern and River Nile States. He stressed the importance of directing financial resources towards productive activities.  Al-Dukhairi added that the organization works with its partners to strengthen organization, provide technical support and build capacity, with the aim of improving the efficiency of the agricultural sector, developing value chains and creating favourable conditions for attracting investment. The forum was attended by representatives of the ministries responsible for agriculture and livestock, several banks, economic leaders, judicial authorities, security and police agencies, and farmers.BH/BH