The great agricultural potential of the country, at the center of the discussion

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva met with Sudan’s Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation, Ibrahim Mahmod Hamid, at FAO headquarters. Graziano da Silva congratulated the Minister for his recent appointment and thanked him for the launch of the Country Programming Framework (2012 – 2016).

FAO Director-General and Minister Hamid discussed the great potential of Sudan’s agricultural sector. In that respect, Graziano da Silva highlighted the special significance of fisheries and aquaculture in the country.

"FAO is an important organization for Sudan, with which we share continuous and fruitful cooperation", the Minister highlighted after the meeting.　The Sudanese Minister expressed his interest in receiving FAO’s support to build an agriculture information system.

The Minister underlined the importance of the discussions that took place during the FAO Near East Regional Conference ministerial meeting, which addressed some of the most crucial issues for Sudan’s agriculture: water scarcity, finance mechanisms for agricultural activities and the fight against the desert locust.

He thanked FAO for its support against the infestation of desert locusts and for its assistance to create a livestock census.

Both principals also discussed the importance of implementing the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure and the Principles for responsible agricultural investments (RAI). "We agree on the importance of encouraging them and I requested FAO’s help to ensure responsible and sustainable investments," the Minister explained. FAO Director-General underlined their value when dealing with foreign investments and offered FAO’s full support advising the country in these matters.

Investing responsibly in agriculture, and particularly in smallholder agriculture, is essential for reducing poverty as it creates employment opportunities, enhances food security and nutrition, and ensures environmental sustainability.

Watch the video of the interview here