Abyei agriculture officials eagerly await tractors

The director of agriculture in Abyei says 30 new tractors will arrive shortly to help the region’s farmers. Atem Nyok Monyjei said the government of South Sudan was giving Abyei 30 tractors, which had now been handed over to the Abyei Area Administration’s co‐ordinator in Juba.

The director of agriculture in Abyei says 30 new tractors will arrive shortly to help the region’s farmers. Atem Nyok Monyjei said the government of South Sudan was giving Abyei 30 tractors, which had now been handed over to the Abyei Area Administration’s co‐ordinator in Juba.

Atem hoped the machines would arrive within the week and said they would bring an “agricultural revolution”.

The number of tractors cited by the Abyei official contradicts the figure given by Minister of Information Michael Makuei last month. He said on 20 April that Abyei Administrative Area would be given 15 tractors, not 30.

Salva Kiir brought the tractors to South Sudan at his initiative through the Cardinal Company, a northern Sudanese company paid to import the tractors.