Conflict Disrupts Sorghum Supply Chains and Food Access in Sudan’s South Kordofan

Credit: ©FAO/Mahmoud Shamrouk

Conflict, insecurity and rising transport costs are severely disrupting sorghum production and trade in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, weakening food security and placing additional pressure on households, according to a June 2026 analysis by IMPACT Initiatives in collaboration with DataQ.

The assessment examined sorghum supply chains in the key market hubs of Kadugli and Rashad and was based on 43 interviews with farmers, traders, transporters, millers, food vendors, households and other market actors.

The report found that agricultural production has not stopped entirely, but farmers are cultivating only a fraction of the land they used before the conflict. Many households have shifted toward subsistence production, retaining most of their harvest for consumption and selling limited quantities only when they need cash to cover debts, school fees and other expenses.

The two major market systems have been affected differently.

Kadugli relies on a combination of reduced local production and supplies transported from production areas outside South Kordofan. Local agricultural production around Al-Bardab and nearby villages has contracted sharply because of insecurity and displacement.

Rashad, meanwhile, depends heavily on a single commercial corridor linking Abu Jubayhah, Tajmala and Tandek to Rashad. The route includes fixed and informal checkpoints and the vulnerable Al-Korra crossing, which can cause lengthy delays and become impassable during the rainy season.

Traders and transporters reported multiple checkpoint charges, local administrative fees and Zakat Authority levies. Some said they were required to provide roughly one sack of sorghum for every 10 sacks transported, in addition to cash payments at checkpoints.

The disruption has also weakened the network of brokers and assemblers that previously connected smallholder farmers with larger markets. In Rashad, some assemblers estimated that their trading volumes had fallen to about one-third of pre-conflict levels, while itinerant traders who once travelled directly to farming communities were reported to have disappeared.

The disruption of transport routes has pushed up the cost of moving sorghum and contributed to volatile prices.

In Rashad, wholesalers reported sorghum prices of about 85,000 to 120,000 Sudanese pounds per sack at the time of the assessment, compared with roughly 50,000 to 60,000 pounds six months earlier. One wholesaler said sorghum costing about 65,000 pounds at the source reached 85,000 pounds in Rashad after transport and checkpoint costs were added.

In Kadugli, price pressures were particularly severe during periods of siege and market disruption. One wholesaler cited a government reference price of about 170,000 pounds per sack, while the report noted sharp price increases recorded in previous market monitoring.

The assessment said higher costs and reduced competition have also weakened farmers’ bargaining power, as fewer wholesalers and intermediaries remain active in the market.

Access to formal agricultural finance has become increasingly limited. Farmers are relying more heavily on personal capital and informal arrangements, including Salam or Mashal forward-sale agreements that require them to commit future harvests in exchange for cash or inputs before cultivation.

The arrangements provide immediate financing but can prevent farmers from storing grain and selling it later when prices are higher. Wholesalers, by contrast, continue to have greater access to trade credit and capital, strengthening their role in procurement and distribution.

The report also identified inadequate storage as a major weakness in the sorghum supply chain.

Farmers largely rely on household storage because formal facilities are limited and security concerns make market storage risky. Reported post-harvest losses generally ranged from 5% to 10%, mainly because of weevils, termites, rats and inadequate drying and cleaning of grain.

Millers in both Kadugli and Rashad also reported lower activity, with reduced quantities of grain brought for processing and fewer regular customers. The decline was linked to reduced household purchasing power, lower grain availability and broader market disruption.

The pressures across production, transport, financing and storage are increasingly being felt by consumers.

Households reported reducing the quantities and frequency of their purchases and substituting commodities when possible. Food vendors have also adjusted meal prices and portion sizes in response to higher grain costs.

The assessment concluded that reduced production, restricted financing, post-harvest losses and declining purchasing power are weakening food security and the resilience of sorghum markets across South Kordofan.

The findings are based on qualitative, purposive interviews and should therefore be understood as indicative of the assessed Kadugli and Rashad market systems rather than statistically representative of all actors across South Kordofan.