South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The National Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other partners, began the validation of the Rural Enterprises and Agriculture Development (READ) project yesterday.
The READ program aims to strengthen the capacities of rural enterprises, enhance access to markets and financial services, and increase agricultural production and productivity, thereby ensuring a more robust food supply.
Mathew Gordon Udo, the Undersecretary for Cooperatives and Rural Development in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, stated that the agriculture development project will be implemented in four states across the country.
“The Rural Enterprises for Agricultural Development project began four years ago when the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security received funding from International Fund for Agriculture Development(IFAD). The project will now be implemented in four states,” Udo said during the opening of the validation workshop for the Rural Enterprises for Agricultural Development.
“We decided to reduce the number of states from seven to four based on various factors. We selected six counties to initiate the project, as the majority of our people live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for their livelihoods,” he explained.
Esther Kenyi, the representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), affirmed the project’s commitment to collaboration and the creation of sustainable impacts in communities.
“The validation of the project today marks a significant milestone, reaffirming our shared commitment to transparency, collaboration, and sustainable impacts,” Kenyi stated.
She revealed that the implementation of the agriculture project reflects a partnership based on inclusive decision-making, adding that the project locations are aligned with the needs of the communities.
“The project is unique in that cooperatives and smallholder groups will receive technical support to access finance, expand production, and connect with markets,” she said.
Russel Armstrong, the Global Fund Programme Coordination Advisor, noted that the Rural Enterprises for Agricultural Development project is designed to empower communities to develop and provide resilient solutions across the country.
“We all recognise the great potential of this initiative. The rural agriculture development project continues to embody UNDP’s commitment to building a more resilient, food-secure, and inclusive rural economy in South Sudan,” Armstrong remarked.
“South Sudan remains one of the most food-insecure countries in the world. Unfortunately, the IPC results regarding food security and levels of food crisis indicate that we still have a long way to go before we can flourish,” he added.
In December 2024, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, launched a USD 16.8 million grant for the Rural Enterprises for Agricultural Development (READ) programme.
This agriculture project,supported by IFAD will be jointly implemented by UNDP and International Labor Organisation(ILO)
