Checkpoints have been set up around Abyei recently to discourage the sale of Abyei’s sorghum production as the Abyei Administration wanted farmers to keep the food here in case of shortages.
These checkpoints could tax the export of sorghum. But farmers such as Ayen Mayol said that she needed to sell part of her crop to buy a more balanced nutritious diet for her family rather than just eating her sorghum seeds.
Another farmer said they needed to sell part of their harvest to raise money so he could hire more farm hands to increase his production, so selling some of his seeds actually allowed him to grow more.
The director general for the ministry of agriculture, Doctor Rau Meynil, said they were not banning sorghum exports, but they were advising people to be aware that there was a shortage of food last year and they should think about how much they would need to store for this year.
He also said an agricultural bank to allow farmers to invest in production without selling their crops was a good idea and the ministry of finance is looking into how they could bring one about.
Reporting by Abyei Today
Related:
Abyei elders want tax to discourage export of sorghum (14 Nov.)