South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The recent successful rice harvest by Hanbit Military Engineering Corps (HMEC) of the Korean Peacekeeping Mission, in collaboration with Dr.John Garang Memorial University, in Jonglei State has raised hopes for expanding rice farming project in the country.
Kee Choon Kim, the representative of the Korean mission in South Sudan said rice farming will serve as the foundation for solving acute food insecurity.
“The Korean mission have done their best for two years, we want to spread rice farming project to other states, we will start in Central Equatoria so that we can visit the rice farm every week for its success,” said Kim on Monday in an interview .
“In any country no government can spoon-feed its people, the government is responsible for infrastructure including roads, education and hospitals, for the living, individuals exert their efforts to produce their food,” he added.
Col.Kwon Byung Kuk, the commander of Hanbit Military Engineering Corps, said the rice farming done in collaboration with the agriculture department at Dr.John Garang Memorial University started by applying seeds and fertilizers from Korea.
“Some of the harvested rice will be used as research materials, to spread rice farming in South Sudan by the department of agriculture at John Garang Memorial University, and the harvested rice and rice seeds sold to local residents,” said Kwon.
Kuol Manyang Juuk, the Senior Presidential Advisor said the rice scheme program will improve food insecurity, economic status as well as provide employment opportunities for many young people.
“This harvest event has seen hope that South Sudanese people can grow their own rice and become independent, we look forward to establishing farming and vocational schools in South Sudan with support from Hanbit unit in the future,” said Juuk.
In July, this year, Abraham Matoc Dhal, Vice Chancellor of Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology, initiated a collaboration with the UNMISS unit of ROK-HMEC to establish a rice demonstration farm.
This innovative project aimed to test rice’s viability in the region with hopes that a successful initiative would be adopted in Jonglei state, and as well replicated in other flood affected parts of South Sudan.
