THE ECONOMIC SHOCK OF CONFLICT: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BROILERPRODUCTION COSTS IN SUDAN PRE-WAR (2023) AND POST-WAR (2025) AGAINST GLOBALBENCHMARKS

Abstract

This study provides a focused economic analysis of the broiler production sector in Sudan, comparing its pre-war (2023) efficiency with its post-war (2025) condition, benchmarked against global standards. Utilizing normalized data (2024 constant USD), the research examines cost structures, biological performance, and economic resilience in the face of profound systemic disruption. Before the 2023 conflict, Sudan's production cost was USD 0.95/kg live weight, already 22% above the global benchmark of USD 0.78/kg. The war triggered a catastrophic cost escalation, with the 2025 post-war cost soaring to USD 1.75/kg, a 142% deviation from the global standard. This surge was driven by a five-fold currency devaluation, the destruction of most large integrated broiler companies including parent-stock farms forcing reliance on imported fertilized eggs, and a shift to costly diesel-generated power, which multiplied energy expenses. Despite this, some recovery efforts emerged through private-sector partnerships that resumed fertile egg imports and limited hatchery operations, partially restoring supply but at high cost. The Day-Old Chick (DOC) cost share exploded from 22.8% to 38.9% of total costs. Despite these shocks, the sector demonstrated notable biological resilience, maintaining a feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 1.5. The findings underscore that the crisis is primarily economic and infrastructural, not biological. The study concludes that targeted interventions focusing on hatchery rehabilitation, feed sovereignty, renewable energy adoption, and macroeconomic stabilization are critical for restoring Sudan's poultry sector and its vital role in national food security.