The Role of Contract Farming in Improving Agricultural Production and Household Food Security in North Kordofan State, Sudan

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the role of contract farming in improving agricultural production and household food security in North Kordofan State, Sudan. The study was conducted in shiaken and Elrahad localities, primary data was collected through structured questionnaire distributed to 138 households selected through cluster random sampling. Descriptive statistics and Household Economy Approach (HEA) were employed to analyze the data and assess household food security. The results revealed that 80.4% of respondents relied on local seeds, while only 19.6% used improved seeds. Furthermore, 55.8% did not apply seed treatment, and 88.4% depended on manual harvesting. Regarding contractual arrangements, 74.6% of respondents reported having no written contracts, while 75.4% expressed dissatisfaction with existing contracts, indicating weaknesses in contractual relationships. Despite these challenges, household food consumption increased from 30.61 kg before contract farming to 51.57 kg afterward, representing an increase of approximately 68.5%. The results showed that food security threshold for household before contract farming was 2,455 kilocalories per person per day,so the person was marginally food insecure and for the households after contract farming was 3,486  kilocalories per person per day so the person was food secured, an increase of approximately 42.0%. In addition, consumption of meat increased from 1.12 kg to 3.87 kg, representing an increase of approximately 245.5%, while milk consumption increased from 1.16 kg to 2.30 kg, an increase of approximately 98.3%. Total household food expenditure increased from SDG 57,900 to SDG 67,300, representing an increase of approximately 16.2%. These findings suggest improvements in household food consumption and dietary quality following participation in contract farming. The study concludes that contract farming has the potential to contribute to household food security; however, improving contractual transparency, expanding access to improved seeds and agricultural inputs, strengthening extension services, and promoting modern farming technologies are essential to maximize its benefits. Further statistical analysis is required to establish the significance of the observed changes and determine the extent to which they can be attributed to contract farming.