South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The African Development Bank has allocated $42.6 million to boost agriculture and promote food security in South Sudan and as well enhance resilience in the country.
The funding will go into a five year deal signed by Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater, the Minister of Finance, on behalf of South Sudan, and Themba Bhebhe, the Country Manager of African Development Bank in Juba yesterday.
Billed the Climate Resilient Agri-food System Transformation Program, it will aim to boost production on sorghum, rice, sesame and fisheries in its first phase.
The project which targets farmers, women and youth will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Bhebhe, the Bank Group’s Country Manager said the project will boost production and productivity in a bid to improve food security in the country.
“Some of the impact will be country-wide, some of it will be specific, like now the expansion of Aweil irrigation scheme, and this is to increase productivity and production in Aweil,” Bhebhe said during the signing ceremony.
He said it will strengthen agricultural value chains so as to increase agri-food businesses which will benefit mostly farmers, women and young people.
“The target are mostly the smallholder farmers, women and youth. Mostly it’s focusing in the rural areas to improve production of food and self-sufficient in the rural areas.”
According to Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater, the Minister of Finance and Planning, the five-year project will build on already existing projects supported by the African Development Bank.
“I also understand three value chain activities, namely sago, rice, and fish have been prioritized. These are important value chains to South Sudan, among others,” Ater said.
He said the scheme will increase agricultural productivity, food security, and build farmer’s resilience in the country.
“This project will build on the existing projects supported by the African Development Bank.”
Meanwhile, Meshak Malo, the FAO country representative in South Sudan said the scheme is going to improve on the seed system.
“I also want to announce that in the last three years ago, FAO was only purchasing 8 per cent of the seeds internally. By 2023, we were able to purchased 30 percent,” Malo said.
An estimated 567,155 farmers, women and youth are expected to benefit directly from the project.
It targets 50 percent of women, with 30 percent aged 18 to 35 years.
