On the southwestern edge of Al-Gadarif, a massive concrete structure rises 30 metres into the sky. From a distance, it may appear to be little more than a silent block of cement. Yet that impression quickly dissolves amid the constant movement of trucks ferrying crops to and from the facility, and the clamour of stevedores exchanging chants and singing their enthusiastic work songs.
While it may seem merely a storage facility, Al-Gadarif Silo is far more than that. It is a vital component of the city’s economic life and a repository of nearly six decades of agricultural history. This is the story of Al-Gadarif Silo.
Porters carrying crops around the silo
Taken by: Atar's Correspondent
With a storage capacity of 100,000 tonnes, it is the largest silo in Sudan, accounting for roughly one-sixth of the country’s total grain-storage capacity
The silo stores a wide range of agricultural commodities, including sorghum, sesame, wheat, watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, fava beans, and chickpeas. With a storage capacity of 100,000 tonnes, it is the largest silo in Sudan, accounting for roughly one-sixth of the country’s total grain-storage capacity. Sudan’s silos collectively hold around 650,000 tonnes and are distributed across several cities, most notably Port Sudan and Rabak. All are administered by the Agricultural Bank of Sudan.
Al-Gadarif Silo was established in 1967 in response to growing demand for crop storage, driven by the rapid expansion of mechanized rain-fed agriculture during the 1940s and 1950s. This farming model was introduced during the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium period, when the colonial administration sought to secure food supplies for Allied forces operating in Ethiopia and Eritrea during the Second World War.
In later years, Sudanese economists and researchers would sharply criticize this model of capitalist agricultural expansion, arguing that it transformed traditional patterns of land ownership, undermined pastoral livelihoods, and contributed to soil degradation and environmental decline.
Inside the Silo
Taken by: Atar's Correspondent
The colonial government initially launched a farming scheme in Al-Gadamblia area, approximately 48 kilometres west of Al-Gadarif, covering some 12,000 feddans. It was there that agricultural machinery was first introduced into this sector, replacing largely manual cultivation methods. The schemes subsequently expanded into the areas of Umm-Bleil, Um Layouna, and Al-Azaza Sagoura.
At the time, production was organized through a partnership between the government and farmers. The state was responsible for mechanized ploughing and harvesting using tractors and disc harrows, while farmers carried out weeding, crop cutting, and collection. Profits were divided equally between the two parties. However, according to Taysir Mohamed Ali’s book Agriculture of Hunger in Sudan, the experiment failed to satisfy either side, prompting the government to gradually withdraw from direct agricultural management and leave the sector to private investors.
The facility’s primary purpose was to preserve the country’s strategic crops and reduce post-harvest losses, as large quantities of produce were being damaged under traditional storage systems
Abdel-Jalil Shuaib, former Operations Manager and Chief Supervisor at Al-Gadarif Silo
Inside the Silo
Taken by: Atar's Correspondent
As mechanized farming expanded and ownership of agricultural schemes passed into the hands of investors, merchants, civil servants, and military officers, cultivation accelerated dramatically. From just 5,000 feddans under cultivation in 1945, the area rose to 56,000 feddans by the mid-1950s and reached 200,000 feddans in 1957 following the incorporation of new private schemes in Blue Nile State, southwest of the original Al-Gadarif projects. During the rule of General Ibrahim Abboud, the country’s first military regime, the cultivated area surpassed one million feddans.
At that time, crops were stored using traditional methods. The most common was the matmoura, a deep underground pit lined with straw and ash to protect grain from moisture. Another was the huts, a circular mud structure roofed with thatch. The concept of modern grain silos emerged later, leading to the construction of the Al-Gadarif and Port Sudan silos.
Abdel-Jalil Shuaib spent four decades working at Al-Gadarif Silo, serving in various positions before becoming Operations Manager and Chief Supervisor. He explained that the facility’s primary purpose was to preserve the country’s strategic crops and reduce post-harvest losses, as large quantities of produce were being damaged under traditional storage systems.
Describing the silo’s organizational structure, Shuaib said:
“There is a general manager and a technical manager, alongside administrative, financial, and health-and-safety units. We also have the operations department, which is one of the largest sections because it oversees all crop-related activities, including cleaning, storage, handling, grading, and fumigation. In addition, there is a technical laboratory responsible for monitoring incoming and outgoing produce, as well as mechanical workshops, a diesel power station, and a health centre.”
The storage cycle begins when a crop owner submits an application to the silo administration. The minimum quantity accepted is 150 tonnes, equivalent to around 1,500 sacks. The technical laboratory then inspects the produce to ensure it is free of insect infestation. If pests are detected, the crop undergoes external fumigation before being accepted.
Once cleared, the produce is weighed and transferred to the receiving bunkers inside the silo. The facility contains six receiving gates, organized into two operational lines of three gates each. At each gate are hopper pits connected to motors, each capable of holding 30 tonnes, or approximately 300 sacks, of produce.
Some crops can remain in storage for as long as 15 years. Sesame, however, cannot be stored for more than two years because of its high oil content.
Abdel-Jalil Shuaib, former Operations Manager and Chief Supervisor at Al-Gadarif Silo
When a hopper is full, conveyor systems transport the crop to the operations tower, where elevators and screening equipment are located. The elevators run vertically through the silo’s concrete structure and contain buckets that lift grain into the storage columns. Produce containing impurities is screened before entering storage.
The silo contains 144 storage cylinders and 96 auxiliary compartments known locally as “stars” (nujum), the spaces formed between every four cylinders. Each cylinder can hold 600 tonnes, while each star compartment has a capacity of 150 tonnes.
Shuaib also highlighted the technical aspects of crop storage and the challenges involved. “We receive all varieties of sorghum, watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, fava beans, chickpeas, millet, sesame, and wheat. Although wheat is not cultivated in Al-Gadarif, shipments occasionally arrive here when the Port Sudan silo reaches capacity.”
Some crops, he explained, can remain in storage for as long as 15 years. Sesame, however, cannot be stored for more than two years because of its high oil content. He also noted that an old warehouse near the silo has recently been converted into a processing centre for watermelon seeds, where they are cleaned and prepared for export following a significant expansion in cultivation.
Stored produce undergoes routine inspection every six months to measure moisture content and detect insect infestations. If pests are found, aluminium phosphide is used for fumigation within the silo. The chemical releases highly toxic gases, requiring the facility to be sealed for 72 hours during treatment.
According to Shuaib, sorghum is currently the most widely stored crop at the facility. The stored stocks belong to major traders, large-scale farmers, companies, and institutions, including the Agricultural Bank of Sudan, Nile Bank, Sayga, and the World Food Programme (WFP), which relies on the silo to store food supplies.
