Port Sudan — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) affirmed its support for Sudan in all fields related to the use of nuclear technologies in food security.
This came in the speech delivered by the Deputy Director General of the Agency and Director of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, Dr. Najat Mukhtar, on Monday, at the opening ceremony of the Sudan Pavilion on the sidelines of the Agency's General Conference, entitled the International Atomic Energy Agency and Agricultural Productivity in Sudan.
On the other hand, Dr. Najat praised the existing cooperation between Sudan and the IAEA, pointing to some successful projects and examples in this regard, especially the cultivation of samples of wheat, corn, peanuts, bananas and tomatoes with high productivity and resistance to difficult climatic conditions. She stressed the Agency's continued response to Sudan's needs, including capacity building and technical cooperation to support the country's efforts to achieve food security. She commended Sudan's initiative to establish the Friends of Food Security Group in Vienna.
For his part, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Abu Bakr Omar Al-Bushra, praised in his recorded speech, the long and fruitful partnership between Sudan and the International Atomic Energy Agency in the fields of crop improvement, animal health and productivity, land and water management, food safety, and pest and insect control, hoping to enhance the benefit from nuclear technologies through the Atoms for Food Initiative that was launched last year to overcome food security challenges. He said that Sudan's unique geographical location, fertile lands, and diverse climates enable it to benefit from nuclear technologies to enhance agricultural productivity, ensure food safety, and manage natural resources effectively to contribute to achieving food security in the country and its African and Arab surroundings.
It is worth noting that the Sudan Pavilion at the 68th session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which kicked off on Monday in Vienna, was organized in cooperation between the Sudanese the Sudanese Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (SNRRA) and the Permanent Mission of Sudan to the Agency, and will continue its work until next Friday, while the conference witnesses a scientific forum on the Atoms for Food Initiative that aims to enhance the use of nuclear technologies in areas related to food security.
