South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Benjamin Takpiny
Cassava is another crop helping communities overcome challenges produced by the climate crisis in Gogrial West County of Warrap State.
The introduction of cassava crop by the World Food Programme (WFP) early this year has become a boon for a population that is prone to climatic shocks such as flooding and drought in Warrap state.
The project is being implemented by WFP in partnership with ForAfrica with funding from The Foreign Commonwealth, Development Office (FCDO).
Cassava has multiple benefits, its leaves are cooked to make sauce and the tubers can be boiled, fried or even eaten raw.
The farm in Ngapathian Boma is serving as a learning center and participants are expected to use the cassava cuttings from the farm to cultivate individual farms next year.
The cassava farm which is a pilot project measures 5 feddans and was planted in June 2023. A total of 25 (Males=10 and Females=15) participants own the farm. The cassava is expected to be ready for harvesting in June-July 2024. The overall objective is to scale up and have at least 150 feddan in the Ngapathian Boma.
Speaking to the Dawn in an exclusive Interview inNgapathian Cassava farm in Gogrial West County, Kharlo Kuot the WFP programme policy officer in Kuacjok field office, said cassava is something new to the community.
He said that the farm is supporting 25 farmers and their target is to make each household get a feddan of cassava.
“During the dry spell they will be working on cassava and sweet potatoes for them to be able to produce and use it for their livelihood, and family members will be benefiting from this cassava and during when its flooding the community embarks on rice farming,” said Kuot.
Kuot said that WFP is giving technical support in terms of agronomy practices, and post-harvest of the crops and training on how to cook the new crop.
Edward Anyuon, Agriculture Director of Gogrial West County said cassava growing is going to help to change the mindset of the people to produce their own food, thus reducing dependence on humanitarian food.
“We move together to talk to people, we don’t have power but the WFP is funding it on behalf of the government, we are advising the farmers to do agriculture to increase food production in the country. I want everybody to cultivate their own food, because people have been relying on food imported from other countries and yet we have land to produce any kind of food in the country,” said Anyuon.
Bol Ayom, one of the beneficiaries said that he is hoping that cassava crop will eradicate hunger and improved food security at household level.
“We are going to benefit more because this crop is not like others that used to be affected by dry spell,” he said.
Ajok Yai, another beneficiary said that cassava is a new thing in the area and they are appreciating it.
“It’s something new, we have just started we have never seen it before, we are eating the leaves and it so nice and hopefully the tubers will be more nice than the leaves,” said Yai.
