Sudan Union Warns of Sugar Sector Collapse Amid War and Funding Shortages

Khartoum, April 23, 2026 - Sudan’s General Union of Industrial Workers has warned that the country’s sugar industry is at risk of total collapse due to persistent funding shortages, lack of production inputs, and the escalating impact of the ongoing conflict.

In a statement issued Thursday, the union’s sugar sector committee urged the Sovereign Council and relevant government institutions to take urgent action to rescue the industry and secure the upcoming agricultural season, which is expected to begin within weeks.

The committee said major sugar factories, particularly those in Sennar and El Guneid in central Sudan, have suffered extensive looting and vandalism following the entry of Rapid Support Forces into key production areas. The destruction of infrastructure, equipment, and raw materials has forced several facilities to shut down completely.

According to the union, the sector is now facing “serious risks,” with officials calling for emergency financing to restart production and protect the planting season. Delays in cultivation have already placed the current cycle in jeopardy, with around 4,000 acres of seed cane still unplanted, including 2,500 acres at New Halfa and 1,500 acres at Assalaya. Authorities warned that failure to complete planting before mid-May could trigger a significant drop in output.

The union also highlighted worsening humanitarian conditions among workers, many of whom are surviving on severely reduced wages that have been eroded further by inflation and currency depreciation. It warned that continued financial strain is pushing employees deeper into hardship.

The memorandum called for the urgent provision of essential agricultural inputs, including fuel, fertilizers, and pesticides, cautioning that further delays could lead to the near collapse of a sector considered strategically important to the national economy.

The warning comes as authorities attempt to address broader trade and supply chain disruptions affecting Sudan’s economy. Recent government directives have emphasized securing agricultural inputs and stabilizing industrial production as part of wider recovery efforts.

At the same time, Sudan has become increasingly reliant on sugar imports. Official trade data for 2025 indicate that the country imported about $1.8 billion worth of food products, with sugar accounting for approximately $552 million of that total.

Before the outbreak of war in April 2023, domestic production was estimated to meet roughly 65% of national sugar consumption, a share that has since sharply declined due to widespread damage to the sector.