APPLICATION OF ISLAMIC MODES FOR MICROFINANCE IN SUDAN: A CASE STUDY OF RAHAD SCHEME

     Microfinance has become one of the most important mechanisms to fight poverty and economic development in the world. Sudan like other developing countries is depending on microfinance to achieve poverty alleviation and economic development. The Central Bank of Sudan has adopted microfinance programs since it is one of the appropriate mechanisms that help banks to perform their social and economic role. The idea of solidarity groups (SGs) started in Bangladesh as a solution of the warranty problem that cannot secured by small farmers. In Sudan solidarity groups are primarily introduced by the Agricultural Bank of Sudan (Fau branch) to help small farmers in the Rahad agricultural scheme who lack the sufficient guarantee to a quire loans needed to fulfill their agricultural production obligations. The aim of this paper has two folds, first to outline microfinance environment and policies of Sudan under Islamic modes, second synthesize empirical study on the case of Rahad scheme as an example for microfinance with Islamic modes to identify socioeconomic factors affecting farmer's decision to join solidarity groups. The study used secondary data to review the general environment of finance through Islamic forms in Sudan, for the case under study, a primary data were collected using structured questionnaire, a sample of 120 farmers (60 farmers joined solidarity group and 60 of self-financed farmers) were selected randomly from the scheme. A binary logistic regression model (Logit) was used to estimate the correlation between the dependent variable of joining of the solidarity groups, and independents variables namely, educational level, farm location, machinery possession, marital status, land ownership, animal's ownership, risk exposure and financial ability. A paired samples (T) test used to examine and estimate the difference between two paired samples means of costs and returns. The reviewed policies of Islamic microfinance modes in Sudan showed a positive environment for credit including devoting 12 percent of the total investment portfolio of each bank to microfinance credit, in addition to introducing guarantee services via the insurance companies, and suitable repayment period with low interest. The empirical results of the Logit regression showed that four variables were statistically significant in affecting the farmers’ decision of joining SGs namely are educational level, machinery ownership, financial ability and the type of land tenure. While the factors of farm location, risk exposure, and animal ownership are not significant. The paired samples (T) test used to examine and estimate the difference between two paired samples means (solidarity group and self-financed), the results showed that there are no significant differences between the means of cost and returns for the two groups, which indicate that the bank finance has no financial burden on the SGs farmers. The study recommends generalization of the solidarity group's finance in the irrigated sector of the Sudan

Sorghum and Sesame Markets Performance under Climate Change in Sudan

Sorghum and sesame are produced under the rain fed sector in Sudan; they are competing each other for agricultural input and resources since they are grown in the same season. The purpose of this paper is to examine sorghum and sesame performance under climate change, including supply, demand, exports and imports and food security variables. The economic performance of the country particularly agriculture; depends on weather conditions especially rainfall. Summer rainfall pattern has been decreasing by 15 to 20 percent in the last forty years. The study has developed a stochastic multi-market model for sorghum and sesame, the model comprices important characteristics of agriculture in Sudan including the dependency of agricultural supply on rainfall. Sorghum and sesame markets have been simulated by calibrating supply and demand functions; the climate scenario simulates sorghum and sesame under climate change of rainfall with a decreasing trend of 20%. The model has introduced prices and rainfall as stochastic variables; it has also incorporated food security indicators, which are directly affected by the agriculture performance. The uncertain stochastic variables in the model are presented in their Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDFs) by the help of BestFit; a software within the @Risk program based on annual observations from 2000-2013. The final results are graphed in the form of Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF). The model scenario simulations revealed that, the impact of the decreasing trend of rainfall would overall lead to considerable losses in sorghum and sesame supplies and hence a deterioration in the country’s external sector and food security situation

Decellularized Adipose Tissue: Biochemical Composition, in vivo Analysis and Potential Clinical Applications

Decellularized tissues are gaining popularity as scaffolds for tissue engineering; they allow cell attachment, proliferation, differentiation, and are non-immunogenic. Adipose tissue is an abundant resource that can be decellularized and converted in to a bio-scaffold. Several methods have been developed for adipose tissue decellularization, typically starting with freeze thaw cycles, followed by washes with hypotonic/hypertonic sodium chloride solution, isopropanol, detergent (SDS, SDC and Triton X-100) and trypsin digestion. After decellularization, decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) can be converted into a powder, solution, foam, or sheet to allow for convenient subcutaneous implantation or to repair external injuries. Additionally, DAT bio-ink can be used to 3D print structures that closely resemble physiological tissues and organs. Proteomic analysis of DAT reveals that it is composed of collagens (I, III, IV, VI and VII), glycosaminoglycans, laminin, elastin, and fibronectin. It has also been found to retain growth factors like VEGF and bFGF after decellularization. DAT inherently promotes adipogenesis when seeded with adipose stem cells in vitro, and when DAT is implanted subcutaneously it is capable of recruiting host stem cells and forming adipose tissue in rodents. Furthermore, DAT has promoted healing in rat models of full-thickness skin wounds and peripheral nerve injury. These findings suggest that DAT is a promising candidate for repair of soft tissue defects, and is suitable for breast reconstruction post-mastectomy, wound healing, and adipose tissue regeneration. Moreover, since DAT\u27s form and stiffness can be altered by physicochemical manipulation, it may prove suitable for engineering of additional soft and hard tissues