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. Chromium, gold, and gypsum rank as the leading mineral products of Sudan. Geologists have also located deposits of copper, manganese, petroleum, silver, sulfide, tungsten, and uranium. Sudan relies on imported petroleum for more than 80 percent of its energy needs.