A training course implemented by the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) kicked off in Gedaref State from July 20 to 23, 2025, with the attendance of several officials, department heads, and staff from relevant entities. The course covers advanced topics in good agricultural practices, association management, marketing, and collective financing, and targets 52 male and female trainees from the state’s peanut-producing agricultural associations.

This course is part of the activities of the “Improving Trade in Strategic Commodities in the Republic of Sudan” project, implemented by the organization in cooperation with the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND). The project is part of an agreement aimed at enhancing trade in the Arab region and developing strategic crops, agricultural businesses, and value chains, contributing to achieving food security and agricultural-economic integration, and supporting intra-Arab trade to achieve sustainable development goals.

The project is being implemented in several Arab countries, including Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Yemen. It aims to increase agricultural productivity and improve the quality of strategic crops, which are economic pillars in these countries.

In Sudan, the project focuses on developing value chains for peanuts and gum arabic, starting with the implementation of good agricultural practices, through post-harvest processes such as drying, processing, and packaging, and finally improving marketing operations. The goal is to gain access to foreign markets and enhance the competitiveness of local products through the adoption of improved seeds and agricultural technologies recommended by research centers.

The course program also includes the distribution of improved peanut seeds to trainees, who represent agricultural associations covering a total area of ​​255 acres in Gedaref State, a move that will contribute to supporting production and improving the livelihoods of farmers in the region.