The government controls the nation's leading industries, most of the irrigated farmland, and the transportation and communications networks. But in 1992, the government began selling some government-owned companies to private companies. Agriculture employs about 70 percent of Sudan's workers and accounts for about 40 percent of the value of the nation's total economic production. Cotton ranks as the leading crop. Sudan also harvests gum arabic, millet, peanuts, sesame, sorghum, and sugar cane.
Livestock make up an important part of the country's rural economy.
Cattle, sheep, goats, and camels provide food and a source of income for Sudan's herders and nomadic groups. Workers pick cotton in Sudan Manufacturing and mining employ about 10 percent of all workers and account for about 15 percent of the value of Sudan's economic production. Factories produce cement, fertilizer, food products, shoes, and textiles. Most factories are in the Nile Valley, especially around Khartoum and in El Gezira. Port Sudan also has some industries.