Reaching Sudanese Farmers Through CATI

Agriculture remains central to Sudan’s economy, with smallholder farmers playing a major role in food production, rural incomes and local markets. But farming is changing. Rising input costs, unpredictable weather, market pressures and growing interest in commercial agriculture are influencing how farmers plan and work each season. 

This where CATI comes in. Technology is becoming part of that change, from digital farmer registration and e-vouchers to mobile-based agricultural information and market services. As these tools grow, so does the need to understand how farmers actually use them and whether they are making a difference. Telephone surveys give researchers a direct way to ask farmers about their experiences, challenges and results.

Supporting Agricultural Research, Monitoring and Evaluation

Agricultural data needs to capture more than production figures. Researchers may need to know whether farmers received support, how they used it, what changed on the farm and what barriers remain.

For M&E, baseline studies and impact assessments, telephone interviews can help organizations:

• Understand farmers' experiences with agricultural programs
• Track changes in farm income and production
• Examine the use of digital farming services
• Gather feedback after project activities

CATI surveys also make follow-up research easier. Farmers can be contacted at different stages of a project to see what has changed over time, whether new practices are being adopted and where additional support may be needed.

Areas Where Telephone Surveys Can Support Agriculture Research

Sudan's agricultural sector extends beyond traditional crop production, with increasing attention to livestock, horticulture, mechanization, agribusiness, market access and climate resilience. This creates a wide range of questions for agricultural research.

Telephone surveys can support:

• Farmer technology adoption studies
• Agricultural baseline and endline research
• Market access and livelihood studies
• Monitoring of agricultural interventions

CATI Africa conducts professionally managed telephone surveys across Sudan, helping organizations connect directly with farmers and agricultural households. Our research supports agricultural studies, M&E, impact assessments, market research and research into technology adoption.

With trained interviewers, structured questionnaires and reliable data collection processes, we help clients turn farmer experiences into useful evidence for better agricultural programs, investments and decisions in Sudan.