2. Area about 1,886,068 km² of land, a total population of well over 37,289,406 million, out of which 75% live in rural areas. Density 16.4/km 2 GDP Total $94 billion Per capita $2,673

3. Industrial Research & Consultancy Centre

4. Background: IRCC was established with the help of UNIDO in 1965 as a national, commercial centre. Activity Conduct applied research (R&D) on local raw materials for industrial exploitation. Design and technology transfer of Small scale industries to meet the real local needs. Prepare techno-economic feasibility studies of new industrial investment projects for both public and private sectors.

5. Consultation services on industrial planning, production management and product design and development. Contributing as main player in setting up the national polices and strategies for industrial development. Considered as reference laboratory for the Sudanese Standards & Metrology Corporation. Consultation services on industrial planning, production management and product design and development.

6. Raise awareness among industrialists, workers and government on industrial development issues. Participate in the formulation of the national industrial development plan. Help identification, transfer & adoption of modern appropriate technologies. Raise industrial awareness. Preparation and marketing of industrial information.

7. Formulation of training programs for employees in the various specialization in industry and supervising the implementation of such programs. Assist in the preparation of standard specification for the local industrial products.

8. Engineering Industries Research Department Leather Research & Technology Centre Department Chemical Industries Research Department Food Industries Research Department The Industry Economies Research Department (IERD) Industrial Information Research, Documentation and Publication Department IRCC Departments

9. IRCC is member of the network of centers of excellence of The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS).(COMSATS) CO-Operation and members

10. Application of ICTs in Agriculture Introduction Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) was raised as a new feature in the Sudan agricultural sectors in the contemporary time. Usage of ICTs to disseminate and share information in Sudanese rural areas is one of the important components of agricultural development in the country

11. The challenges are to make ICTs available to rural people, and to build efficient national agricultural information system to increase access to information at the national level, in addition to connect rural people to global information networks.

12. Agriculture contributes about 45% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), generates over 85% of the foreign exchange earnings, and provides the raw materials for agro-industries and employment for over 80% of the labor force. About 87% of economically active people depend on agricultural or pastoral activities and related enterprises for their livelihoods. Forest resources contribute about 10 % to the GDP

13. ICTs in Sudan

14. ICTs in Agriculture

15. e- Agriculture projects in Sudan Gedaref digital city organization (GDCO) is a non- governmental and not for profit organization (civil society) in Gedaref Sudanthe the vision of the project ( increase your production reduce your cost from any place in the world reach your farm) it achieved :- 1.huge database for 10.000 farms 2. Gedaref electronic (digital) Map 3. Crop market web portal 4. Training and capacity building 5. Reduce the cost of farms planning 6. Agro-Mobile Services 7. Disaster control through ICT

16. Agadi project The Agadi project is coordinated by the Precision Farming Unit (PFU), whose aim is to introduce site-specific farming, using GPS and GIS- based technology, for the commercial mechanized farming sector in Sudan. Achievement: Innovative precision agriculture technology introduced at Agadi farm has generally helped to make farming practices more efficient. Planting times have been reduced by 60%, the area of plant cover has improved by 3.5%, and the cost of spraying herbicides has been cut substantially.

17. Constraints facing use of ICT in Sudan Poverty& Illiteracy ICT is not part of the culture and not a priority High cost of e-infrastructure, high government taxes Power supply in rural shortage of ICTs skills and trained staff Lacks technical know-how which can help them to get more benefits from ICTs. Lacks good infrastructure of National Agricultural Information System