An Analysis of Agricultural Crops Outputs in New Halfa Agricultural Scheme, Sudan: A Policy Implications

Aims: This study aimed at examining and comparing the impact of the governmental policies; pre-liberalization (1970 - 1992) and post-liberalization (1992 - 2012), on the growth of the main crops grown in the New Halfa Agricultural Scheme (NHAS) Sudan: sorghum, wheat, cotton and groundnuts.

Place and Duration of Study: New Halfa Agricultural Scheme, 1970 - 2012.

Methodology: The study depended mainly on secondary data which were collected from the Ministry of Agriculture, Central Bureau of Statistics and New Halfa Agricultural Scheme. The compound growth rate and the seven steps decomposition model were used to achieve the stated objectives.

Results: Results revealed that the growth rate of sorghum area (5.73) and productivity (9.44) pre-liberalization policy were far better than the post-liberalization period (0.91) and (0.34), respectively. Likewise, the growth rate for the wheat area (-4.1), productivity (2.87) and production (2.77) pre-liberalization were substantially more than post liberalization (area=-11.44. productivity=2.33 and production=1.28). In the same vein the growth rate of cotton area (3.57), productivity (5.85) and production (5.98) pre-liberalization were better than post-liberalization period (area=-2.66, productivity=-1.49 and production=-9.16). For groundnuts, the growth rate pre-liberalization of productivity (0.3) and production (1.59) was greater than pre-liberalization (productivity=-3.88 and production=-3.84), even though, the growth rate of an area before the liberalization (-1.89) was lesser than the post-liberalization (-0.72).

Conclusion: The adopted agricultural liberalization policy was failed to achieve its goals of improving the growth rate of the main crops grown in NHAS. The study recommends that the government should intervene in the scheme management and farmers support.