1) Wheat is a major food crop for 110 million people in eastern Nile basin countries like Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. 2) While wheat is currently grown on around 100,000 hectares in Sudan and Egypt, there is potential to double this area once irrigation projects are completed. 3) The Renaissance Dam will provide downstream countries with 3-4 million cubic meters of water during the wheat growing season, enough to irrigate around 450,000 additional hectares of wheat production.

1. Wheat for Food Security in Africa Conference
Science and Policy Dialogue about the Future of Wheat in Africa
October 8 -12, 2012, United Nation Conference Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Potential Wheat Area, Production and Productivity in Eastern Nile Basin Countries
Dr. Eltigani E. Bashier Abdelgalil
eltigani9@hotmail.com
University of Gezira, Water Management and Irrigation Institute
Introduction
Wheat constitutes a major food crop in Africa, particularly in eastern Nile basin
countries (Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia), where approximately 110
Main Nile
million people depend on wheat for their livelihood. Wheat is produced on rough-
ly 100000ha in Sudan and Egypt, but there is the potential to cultivate double the
current area, once several multipurpose projects are completed.
Wheat represents a logical choice in Sudan due to its utilization of land, water
and capital during winter periods and its limited use of labor at times when
labor requirements in other crops are high. Water shortage is a major con-
Abbey/
straint to sustaining and increasing the productivity of wheat.
Blue Nile
Wheat Productivity
Trials at experimental stations show that the maximum yields of semi-dwarf
Baro Akobo
Mexican wheat varieties sown between end-October and mid-November are
Sobat Tana
3.57 tons/ha in the Northern region, 2.85 tons/ha in the Gezira and 1.9 tons/
Beles
ha in New Halfa; when planted between mid-November and mid-December.
Average discharges for Eldiem and Reniassance (1920 - 2011)
Q Renaissance 620 Q Eldaim S/D MCM Wheat area Ha Production/ MT
Nov 4376.68 2538.82 1837.86 257302.15 1.29
Climatic criteria, especially temperature, deny large
Dec 4011.65 1389.02 2622.64 367172.22 1.84
potentials for wheat to any part of Sudan
Jan 4011.65 836.80 3174.85 444483.11 2.22
45
Feb 3655.78 533.11 3122.67 437177.91 2.19
40
Mar 4011.65 432.91 3578.74 501027.56 2.51
35
30
25 Mean minimum
T 0c
20 Mean maximum
Mean daily
15
Renaissance vs ElDaim discharge 10
5
16.00
Q in Milliard Cubic Meter
0
14.00
Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March
12.00 Q Renaissance 620
10.00 Q Eldaim
8.00 Potential to cultivate Wheat in ENB countries
6.00
Wheat is produced on roughly 100000ha in Sudan and Egypt,
4.00
2.00 but there is the potential to cultivate double the current area,
0.00 once several multipurpose projects are completed. For exam-
ple, the Renaissance Dam will provide downstream countries
with 3-4 million m3 of water during winter (November -
March, wheat growing season) in Sudan. The four countries
can utilize this water during winter time to grow wheat in a co-
operation manner, by sharing the benefits. This water is
Wheat potential area and production in ENBC enough to grow about 450000 hectare which will produce
5 more than 1.5 million ton of wheat.
Q Renaissance 620
4.5
Q Eldaim Agriculture in Eastern Nile Basin is both the main use of the
4
land in terms of area and the principal water consuming
Q/ Milliard CM
3.5
3 sector. Therefore the adverse effects of climate change are
2.5
2 perceived to be associated with agricultural activities, lead-
1.5 ing to conflicts over the use of resources with other sectors.
1
Agricultural production in the region is expected to change
0.5
0 rapidly due to technological advancements, and social
Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
changes. Water demand for irrigation is expected to in-
crease in all countries of North Africa and it is important to
The message define adaptation strategies that take into account the pos-
There is a limited annual amount of water from the Eastern Nile basin, with sible deficit of water for irrigation in the future
a very wide potential agricultural land suitable for crop production; this lim-
ited resource should be utilized efficiently to maximize the benefits.