Wad Medani Online
Gezira Scheme
Introduction:
The Sudan is a vast country containing sizable land
and natural resources. Agriculture occupies pivotal
position in Sudan economy because of it's sizable
contribution in national income.
Gezira Scheme lies between the Blue and White Niles.
It is the largest, oldest and most important
agricultural scheme in the Sudan. Geographically and
topographically Gezira suited irrigation by gravity.
The main crops grown in Gezira Scheme are: Cotton, Dura (Sorghum),
Wheat, Groundnuts, Vegetables, Fruits, and Fodder.The Gezira Scheme
started in 1911 with an area of 250 feddans (1=1039 acres) for growing
cotton. As cotton proved to be successful the area was increased year after
an other. At the same time it was decided to construct a dam at Sinnar on
the Blue Nile. In 1925 when Sinnar Dam officially inaugurated gravity
irrigation started and the area increased to 2.1 million feddans by the end of
1962.
THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME:
Before independence in 1956, the scheme main
objective was to produce cotton raw material to feed
textile the textile factories in the United Kingdom.
The national government however had designated
social development as one of the main objectives of
the scheme. An appreciable portion of the profit was
directed to overwhelming social development
projects.
ROTATION:
Crop rotation witnessed several changes in
accordance with the prevailing agriculture
environment that conceded with the different stage
of development in the scheme, but recently settled to
the five course rotation all over the scheme with the
aim of achieving the best results from the available
resources of land and water.
FINANCING OF CROPS:
The previous system of financing from the central bank (Bank of Sudan) the
ministry of finance has been abolished and substituted by a new method
based on the international free market and privatization concepts.
PRODUCTION RELATIONSHIP:
The production relationship system adopted in
Gezira scheme is based on land and water rates for
each crop to tenants individually. The role of the
Gezira Board is to provide the tenants with
agricultural services, inputs at cost, technical and
administrative supervision and execution of it's
policy. the net proceeds will go to the tenants. It is
agreed that tenants will pay 4% of the gross returns
of cotton to meet the following objectives:
For social development
For the local government councils
For the tenants service fund
2%
1%
1%
After the advent of the salvation revolution the tenant has virtually changed
from being tool of production to an actual owner of all tools of production,
and government interference comes only when food production for the
nation is to be secured being flexible, the scheme with it's enormous
capabilities is always able to satisfy all purposes and objectives.
MANAGEMENT OF THE SCHEME:
Administratively the scheme is divided into five
administrations: Engineering, finance, Investment,
Irrigation, and agricultural Administrations. The field which belongs to Agric. Adm. - is divided into 18
groups, further subdivided into a number of agricultural
blocks to make a total of 113 blocks in the scheme. The
board of directors composed of 13 members representing different related
organizations is chaired by the minister of agriculture and forests, and is
responsible for setting all production policies.
PRODUCTION INPUTS:
Most of cotton production inputs are imported from abroad. Fertilizers for
example, amounts to 100.000 tons seasonally. The Gezira scheme also
import great amounts of insecticide, herbicide, jute sacks, spare parts for
machine vehicles, ginning factories, telecommunications, light railways and
other.
INFRASTRUCTURE:
The Gezira scheme owns great infrastructural units like
Gezira Light Railways (G. L. R.). It has 1300 kms of rail
lines extended all over the scheme. The main service of
the (G. L. R.) is to deliver inputs to the field, and
transportation of the output to the ginneries and ware housing facilities. Also there are ginneries allocated at
Maringan, Hassahissa and Bagair where the cotton is
prepared for export.
QUALITY OF GEZIRA COTTON:
Gezira cotton covers wide range of quality spectrum required to satisfy the
exacting needs of rapidly changing technological development in the
spinning mills, weaving and lint ting factories. the extra fine count cotton
(Barakat) the fine count cotton (Maryoud, Huda and Shambat-B) and the
course count cotton (Sudan Acala, and Nuba Albar) maintained a very
special and competitive position in many of the European and the far Eastern
cotton consumer countries due to the excellent production, ginning and
preparation.
The Gezira cotton is comparatively superior to any similar cotton. it issued in
manufacture of a wide range of textile products including European high
fashion creations, men shirting's, rain-coats, gloves and accessories. Gezira
cotton is well known for it's consistency as well as quality, colour and
cleanliness it has been used for more than 60 years be leading British
manufacturers and it is carefully graded in conformity with standard
established by the Gezira Board and Liverpool cotton Association.
To face the requirements and desires of the consumers of Sudan cotton, a
great attention has been given to promote agricultural practices and
preparations of Sudan cotton.
FUTURE VISION AN PRODMISING PLANS:
The immediate and future strategy of the scheme is
to encourage public investment in the field of
agricultural industry basically for vegetables, fruits
and animal production.
Collective marketing of crops is also one of the
scheme most promising projects. Specialized
executive body has already been assigned to sponsor
and carry out the policy.
Contact:
for More information's you can contact Gezira scheme Barakat HQS in Sudan
numbers:
Tel:+249-516-80376/80061/80145 Fax: +249-511-842728.
E-mail: barakat@sudanmail.net