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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:
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For social development |
2% |
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For the local government
councils |
1% |
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For the tenants service fund |
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
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