200 Scarcity and Surfeit
grasslands occur in the Sudd and Machar Swamps in the south of the coun-
try.
Agricultural production was the basis of the Sudanese economy over the
decades until the recent exploitation of oil reserves in Unity state.
Agricultural policy pre- and post- independence emphasised cash crop pro-
duction. However, with recurrent droughts and famine, government policy in
the agriculture sector attempted to strike a balance between cash and food
crop production with the joint aim of enhancing food security and promoting
economic growth.
Large-scale mechanised agricultural production in the mid-regions of the
Sudan, supplemented by irrigated agriculture was emphasised in Sudan
under colonial administration. As the north is dominated by arid and semi-
arid lands, agricultural production was intensified in the mid-regions of the
country. This resulted in extensive degradation of soils and limited access to
land for peasant farmers who historically inhabited the region. Consequently,
there is increasing pressure for these populations to push southwards in
search of arable land. Diminishing productive land in the north may be the
reason for the northern government policy of annexing southern regions. In
1958, Southern Blue Nile was taken from the southern province of Upper
Nile; Kafia Kingi was annexed from Bahr El Ghazal and Bentiu was almost
annexed to the north by Numeiri.
Agricultural intensification and modernisation adversely affected tradi-
tional peasant farming by inflicting severe social and environmental changes
on peasant communities. As a result northern Sudanese peasants have aban-
doned customary natural resource uses in favour of other unsustainable
methods. In addition to the intensification of agricultural practices, harmful
uses of natural resources are spreading due to a growing population and the
absence of a comprehensive national land use policy.
Land tenure in the Sudan remains contentious. There is general recogni-
tion that property rights are, and have been, based on customary rights and
value systems. However, the interpretation of customary rights varies. Formal
land registration was initiated in 1925 under the Land Settlement and
Registration Ordinance. In 1970 the Unregistered Land Act was enacted,
which placed all unregistered land as of 1970 under the ownership of the gov-
ernment. The Act placed most land, including what was perceived as tribal
or communal lands, under the control of the government. However, the Land
Registration Ordinance maintains that customary rights to land can be
invoked under various legal provisions. The allusion that customary rights to
land must first have a proven legal basis is perceived to be an inherent con-
tradiction within the Act for communities in the Sudan who subscribe to cus-
tomary laws and value systems.
Sudan consumes the energy equivalent of 13 million tons of petroleum, of
which 83% comprises traditional biomass fuels such as wood and charcoal.