South Darfur — Widespread unemployment and high harvesting costs will probably lead to the "failure" of the current harvesting season by the end of January, South Darfur farmers warned.

They told Radio Dabanga that the likelihood of herders grazing their livestock on farms might also negatively affect the crops.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga on Monday, 24 December, Dr. Ibrahim Aldikheiri, minister of agriculture of South Darfur, suggested that conflicts between farmers and herders may continue if harvest is not completed by the end of February.

He mentioned about a prior agreement between the conflicting parties that harvest would be concluded by the stipulated deadline so that herders could start grazing their cattle by the beginning of March.

The minister attributed high harvesting costs to manpower shifting from farming to gold exploration. He pointed out that the cultivation of one acre of corn rose to 500 Sudanese pounds (SDG) and of peanut to 1.000 SDG.

Aldikheiri appealed to farmers to promptly complete their harvest operations and to provide additional funds to it.