Government to launch harvest of rice at Aweil Rice scheme

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Pal Mai Deng (Left) and Meshack Malo, UN FAO Country Representative (Right) visit Aweil Rice Scheme (Press unit of Northern Bahr el Ghazel State)

By Jenifer James

The Governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Simon Ober Mawut, received a high-level delegation from Juba for the launch of the Aweil Rice Scheme harvest.

The delegation, led by the National Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Pal Mai Deng, arrived on Tuesday at Aweil Airstrip to mark the occasion.

In a statement obtained from the official page of the Northern Bahr el Ghazel state, Governor Simon Ober Mawut reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to collaborating with relevant institutions and partners to revive the Aweil Rice Scheme and unlock its full potential.

‘’We are ready to collaborate with partners for the recovery of the Aweil Rice scheme,’’ Simon said.

Meanwhile, the National Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Pal Mai Deng, emphasised that the delegation’s visit aims not only to officiate the harvest launch but also to assess the progress of the scheme and identify any challenges hindering its development.

‘’We are here not only to officiate the scheme but to assess the challenges facing the schemes and see how it can be improved in the state,’’ Deng said.

In 2023 the government launched the Aweil Rice Scheme with the aim to address the food insecurity in the country. The three-year project is a national project for South Sudan to unveil efforts to meet sustainable development goals.

The South Sudan Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security together with FAO inspected the Aweil Rice Scheme in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and inaugurated a research centre for the project.

The scheme was revived on a minimum capacity in August 2022 with support from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the African Development Bank.

The project activities include the installation of irrigation machinery, dykes, construction of a 25-kilometre road, establishment of a research station, and trial of a variety of improved seeds, among others.

The Aweil Rice Scheme was established by the British Colonial Administration in the 1940s and measured about 1,100 feddans.

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