South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched on Tuesday the Rural Enterprises for Agricultural Development (READ) project aimed to boost food security in four States.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Josephine Lagu, said the project will empower rural farmers and transform their livelihoods.
“We want to enhance agriculture productivity, cooperatives in my understanding are a means of transforming agriculture and transforming our rural population, South Sudan’s rural communities are the heartbeat of our country,” said Lagu during the launch held at Pyramid Hotel in Juba.
Lagu said that her ministry will work to ensure proper coordination among stakeholders to implement the project.
The Minister of Cooperatives and Rural Development in Western Equatoria State, Yona Robert, said the project will greatly impact cooperatives, saving and credit organizations and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
Mohamed Abchir, the UNDP Resident Representative in South Sudan, said the project will also focus on building the capacity of rural households, improving food security and household incomes.
“By focusing on rural producers’ organizations (RPOs), agricultural producer groups (APGs), cooperatives, and micro and small enterprises (MSEs), the program will facilitate the transformation of these organizations into sustainable and resilient players in the agricultural value chain,” said Abchir
For his part, the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Onyoti Adigo Nyikwec, said the project is in line with the government‘s plan to develop agriculture for sustainable livelihoods across the country.
He disclosed that President Salva Kiir has already declared agriculture among the top priorities of his government.
The Rural Enterprises Agricultural Development project will be implemented in Renk County of Upper Nile State, Awiel centre of Northern Bahr El Ghazel State, Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria State and Anzara, Yambio and Maridi of Western Equatoria State.
