Raino: Follow-up – The price of a bag of Egyptian fava beans has risen to 1.15 million Sudanese pounds, up from 800,000 pounds, following the authorities’ decision to completely ban the import of Egyptian fava beans into Sudan without exception.
According to economists who spoke in press statements, the selection of commodities covered by the decision was not based on studies that took into account the volume of local production, the availability of crops in the markets, and consumer needs. Furthermore, the prices of imported products are significantly lower than those of local products, given the high costs of agricultural production in Sudan.
The online newspaper Al-Rakoba quoted economist Haitham Mohamed Fathi as saying that protecting local products does not mean completely eliminating competition, but rather giving Sudanese products a fair chance to compete while ensuring the availability of goods in the markets at prices acceptable to consumers. He explained that the fundamental flaw in decisions to ban imports lies in focusing solely on the volume of domestic production, without considering the entire supply chain through which the product reaches the consumer—which includes production, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale.
Fathi emphasized that preventing foreign competition, given the high costs associated with these stages and the weakness of storage and marketing infrastructure, may end up protecting high prices rather than protecting Sudanese farmers. He explained that the problem does not lie in the principle of supporting local products, but rather in relying on import bans as a standalone tool, noting that protecting farmers also requires reducing production costs, securing agricultural inputs, and improving storage, marketing, and exports—all while protecting consumers from rising prices.
