Introduction

Traditionally, the Hadendowa pursue activities of a mixed economy, which comprises herding of cattle, camels, sheep and goats with rain cultivation of dura (Sorghum vulgare). In 1923 flush irrigation was established in the Gash Delta, where cotton was introduced for commercial production. More recently, castor has replaced cotton as the main cash crop in the scheme. That shift started in the late 1950s when the yield of cotton began to decline owing to factors such as pests and heavy growth of weeds, increasing the cost of production and decreasing the tenant's income, which was further affected by the international fall in cotton prices. Moreover, soil and agricultural research in the Sudan have proved that the Gash Delta is a suitable place for the production of castor (Abdel Rahman, 1970). Eventually, the area under castor cultivation increased gradually at the expense of cotton until the latter was abandoned completely in 1970–71 season.

Although the largest part of the Delta is allocated to the Hadendowa tenants, few of them have changed their pastoral mode of life and settled in the agricultural villages of the scheme. Today, their main interest is to look after their herds and to raise food crops. In the combination of these two activities pastoralism has continued to be the dominant mode of livelihood while commercial agriculture is pursued as a secondary activity. Since the inception of the Gash Delta Scheme in 1923, the Hadendowa have continued to create intricate administrative, political and economic problems for successive administrations whether at regional or national level.