South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"

By Benjamin Takpiny
The Half-moons or ‘smiley berm’ farming technique that has been introduced in Kapotea North County of Eastern Equatoria State has boosted agriculture production in the areas that have been affected by drought.
The half-moon farming technique allows rainwater to spread slowly, nourishing crops even when the rains are not consistent.
Kapoeta North is one of the counties hardest hit by droughts in South Sudan, and using this technique became a game changer to the community who have been affected by climatic shocks over the past yaers.
The Asset Creation and Livelihood Project, implemented by the UN World Food Program (WFP) in partnership with the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), introduced innovative techniques such as water harvesting methods to maximize limited rainfall.
Among these methods are micro-catchment structures, like half-moons, tailored to the area’s conditions.
Lokai Jonezio Ejula, a beneficiary of the new farming technique and member of the project management committee, said that it has helped them to know how to dig half-moon and other things that are used to capture water.
He said they have learnt to use modern hoes to dig deeper into the soil, which has made a significant difference in crop yields this year.
Ejula evealed that he has so far harvested 7 sacks of sorghum that he and his colleagues planted with the help of WFP and NPA.
Maria Nanya, another beneficiary said that the project has introduced new crops to them such as cassava and cowpeas, which were not previously grown in the area, giving farmers additional tools in their fight against hunger.
“This garden has really helped us to fight hunger, like before we used to stay longer with hunger, but this year cassava has helped us to reducer hunger,” she said.
Nanya said that she will implement the same technique learnt from the demonstration farm run by WFP in her own garden.

Thiago Xavier, WFP Head of Kapoeta Field Office said that the farming technique offers critical emergency solution for regenerating the soil and supporting the community’s livelihoods.
He said that the Kapoeta region has been struggling with shifting rainfall patterns, adding that this technique helps to harvest and store water, thus protecting crops from the effects of climate change.
“These communities have been struggling with the changing of the rain patterns over time. So these are some techniques that can help harvest the water and retain the water for protecting them against the effects of climate. This can help rehabilitate, regenerate the land. We call this first aid for landscapes. This is emergency relief for the soil because that’s what the communities depend on for their livelihoods,” said Xavier.
Xavier disclosed that communities will receive consistent support over the course of three years, adding this support will gradually build their self-reliance and resilience to climate shocks.
“They are also getting exposed to information and knowledge about how to cope with the effects of climate change. So the idea is that over this period, they can graduate from a state of vulnerability to a state of self-reliance and resilience,” said Xavier.
Nacha Gloria, Project Officer for the Norwegian People’s Aid and focal person for the WFP project, said that they have successfully combated soil erosion and helped conserve water that is used efficiently for crops.
She said that they have constructed 36 half-moon structures in their demonstration garden where they have trained several people on the new farming technique to help prevent soil erosion.
Gloria said that the land they are currently using was abandoned by the community for decades due to poor soil, adding that with the help of the modern farming technique they are able to produce around 0.7 tons of sorghum per feddan.
She said with the help of agronomic best practices and water harvesting structures, they have revived the soil fertility.
The project funded by the Korean government aims to support local communities for three years.
The project also focuses on soil conservation practices to restore the land’s productivity that includes mulching, cover crops, use of organic fertilizers, and crop diversification to enhance yields, improve dietary diversity, and offer new livelihood opportunities.
Farmers were introduced to nitrogen-fixing and drought-resistant plant species, intercropping, and other sustainable techniques.