Horticultural Crops Research Program:

Horticultural crops comprise the groups of vegetables, fresh legumes, fruit trees, ornamental plants, plantation crops, medicinal and aromatic plants and spices.  At present, research is focused on vegetables, fruits, medicinal and aromatic plants, and some fresh legumes. The horticultural acreage in the Sudan is estimated at 0.65 million feddans, representing about 3% of the total crop area, but with high contribution (12%) to national production compared to 21% for food grains and 8% for oil seeds.  The production of both vegetables and fruits is flourishing, providing cash for farmers, forming an important component of the human diet and holding good promise for export.  However, yields per unit area are low compared with international standards or with neighboring countries.  Local yields are in the order of 4 t/fed. for vegetables, 4-5 t/fed. for potatoes, 4 t/fed. for tomatoes and 6 t/fed. for onion as compared with respective yields of 26, 12-15, 18 and 13 t/fed. for the same crops in Egypt.  This is illustrative of the big productivity gap and the high potential for improvement.  The main objectives of the program are to:

1.   Increase yield per unit area and improve quality to meet the country’s strategic goals of improving export earnings and producing adequate quantities for fresh consumption and processing;

2.   Minimize the use of chemicals for pest and disease control.

3.   Reduce post-harvest losses.

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