Ripe mangoes in Yambio, W.Equatoria State, the leading fruits producer in S. Sudan. [©Larco Lomayat]
By Ngor Arol Garang
KHARTOUM, 21 December 2009 (Sudan Tribune) —The Agricultural Transformation Initiative, known as the “La Tueng Puoric” meaning progress in agriculture, shape the nation, intends to make Warrap an agriculture-driven state.
The government hopes the area will become self-sufficient in food production as well as a major agricultural commodities exporter.
Speaking from Kuacjok, Warrap State capital, Deng Wieu, a Food Security and Livelihood Coordinator in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Resources and Forestry said the initiative is in line with the state development policy of the State Agriculture Ministry’s Strategic Plan.
“The contribution of agriculture to the economy of South Sudan has not in any way been paid attention as it used to be in the past despite the fact that this sector could be the largest employing sector”, he said.
In South Sudan, agricultural production has remained predominantly subsistence, small-scale and largely rain-fed, with very little or no use of farm inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.
However, public and private sector leaders in the southern state of Warrap led by Governor Tor Deng Mawien, held a two-day meeting under the auspices of the Warrap Farmers Council to discuss the finer details of the agricultural vision and its action plan as part of final preparations before the initiative is officially launched.
Addressing participants during a meeting scheduled to end on Tuesday 22 December, Governor Mawien is reported as saying that the thrust of the initiative is to facilitate the full engagement of public and private sectors in agricultural production.
Similarly, Yol Kuol, a trade union leader, during the same meeting, also said business people in Warrap do not regard agriculture as serious business, but “that is part of our history where all of us have concentrated on trade through buying and selling”.
“We want you to understand from today that agriculture is a serious and good business”, he commented.
He continued to say that they intend to launch large-scale farming because, according to him, there is enough land in the area.
“We believe increasing crop yield is more important than sticking to rearing thousands of cattle. If we get these small-scale farmers to transform their activities, we can greatly increase output”, he added.
He said the agricultural initiative was a broad project that also entailed the improvement and commercialisation of fisheries and livestock, adding that the sectors had great potential.
Earlier, the Food Security and Livelihood Coordinator and a key person in the preparation of the initiative Wieu, told Sudan Tribune that the aim of the initiative was to transform the state from subsistence farming to large scale.
He added that major problems limiting production include lack of improved seeds, limited use of fertilizers, inadequate mechanisation and low level of irrigation.
However, he said this initiative is the way forward as it already had an action plan that outlined specific areas of investments by both the public and the private sectors.
“We have already identified field, fisheries, livestock and infrastructure projects, the costs of each project and the amount of resources needed in the investments”, he added saying that the initiative is almost ready for implementation.