OPTIMAL CROPPING SEQUENCE OF SMALL-SCALE FARMS IN THE RAIN-FED SECTOR OF GADARIF STATE- SUDAN(1)

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the Optimal Cropping Sequence of the main crops grown under the rain-fed sector of Gadarif state - Sudan: such as sorghum, millet, sesame and groundnuts. The study used both primary and secondary data. Multistage random sampling technique was used to collect primary data on small-scale farms from three villages of the state by means of questionnaire as a sample farmer from 175 of Gadarif State, during 2017 -2018 season. Secondary data were collected from Central Bureau of Statistics and Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Linear programming technique was used to determine the optimal cropping sequence of small-scale farms (less than 210ha) in the rain-fed sector of Gadarif state. Spread sheet of the excel solver was used to run the analysis. The results revealed that the current cultural practices and crop sequence, in which sorghum do not come after sesame, was not the optimal one. Food-crops (sorghum and millet) did not enter the optimal cropping pattern under the current sequences and policy measures, with sesame dominated the total land. The crop sequence of groundnuts, sesame, sorghum and millet proved to be the optimal cropping pattern that improves farmer’s returns. Under such sequence, the four crops entered the optimum plan and farmers’ returns exceed of the current situation by 181.94%, but if this sequence is used with the recommended full package of technological improvement, then farmers’ net returns will increase three times than the current practices. Small-scale farmers should be encouraged to adopt the crop sequence in which sorghum come after sesame. They should also be encouraged to change their mind to become commercially oriented (by following the crop sequences with greatest returns according to local and international demand and expected prices. Even if the subsistence crop is excluded).