Despite receiving their seeds later than usual this year, farmers in Western Bahr el Ghazal State are anticipating abundant crops this year.
In order to evaluate the performance of farmers this year, the state’s agricultural minister and the director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the state conducted visits to Jur River and Wau counties on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Velantino Akec, the minister of agriculture for Western Bahr el Ghazal State, told reporters in the Marial-Bai district of Jur River County that the state government is giving priority to agricultural output in order to combat hunger.
“We have chosen to tour and evaluate the circumstances of the farmers in the state because, as a government, we have made agriculture a priority in the state and the nation,” he declared.
Based on our observations, our farmers have done a good job, and we’ve come to the conclusion that everyone has planted this year. We already know that, in spite of the difficulties our farmers endure, the harvest in our state will be abundant.
“We are happy that the farmers listened to the government and put agriculture as a priority,” Minister Akec continued.
He praised the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for supplying seeds to the state’s farmers and promised to take action against their grievances, which included the delayed seed distribution.
Juma Suleman, a farmer in the Bussere district of Wau County, stated that they do not have access to sophisticated farming equipment like tractors.
“Tractors are not owned by the farmers. I farmed this land with a tractor that I borrowed from Loyola School, which is not easy to come by. Farmers must cultivate on schedule, but it takes time since you have to wait in line,” he said. “We want them to find tillers who can assist with agriculture so we can purchase them. Please deliver them to the Ministry of Agriculture so that we may pay for them in installments; we are not requesting them for free. This will enable us to hire more people.
A farmer in Marial-Bai named Santino Manut Akec, however, pleaded with the FAO not to import seeds from neighboring nations because they do not perform well in South Sudan.
“The best seeds are found in South Sudan because of the type of soil that allows them to germinate well; imported seeds do not perform well in this environment,” he stated. Because our seeds, such as groundnuts, can yield more than 100 to 150 pieces, we argue against the importation of seeds. The presence of the FAO director and the minister of agriculture is beneficial since native seeds thrive in our soils.
“The climates in Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan are different, and this will not allow the sorghum seeds imported from elsewhere to do well here,” Manut continued.