Agriculture ministry, Plan International sign MoU to boost food production

The South Sudan Ministry of Agriculture and Plan International have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost food production.

Speaking during the signing ceremony at the Agriculture Ministry in Juba on Friday, Plan International Country Director in South Sudan Mohamed Kamal said the collaboration is an indicator of South Sudan’s commitment to continue working with international and local organizations to make a difference in the lives of the people.

“This MOU should help us engage our international donors, stakeholders within and outside South Sudan and also make the best use of our long and lasting existence in other countries in Africa to bring to South Sudan innovative models when it comes to smart agriculture, renewable energy and food security,” he said

Kamal said the MOU would allow the agriculture taskforce to strategically discuss how to move from projects to program-driven strategies to move the South Sudanese people to produce their own food and get introduced to smart agriculture.

“Our role in Plan International is to work with other organizations and look for funding opportunities to support the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,” Kamal said

The Undersecretary for Food Security in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security John Ogoto Kanisio said the partnership seeks to synergize the impact of the work of development partners in the country.

“When we met with Plan International, we looked at areas that we can do together, food security, empowering our population, especially women and children who are the main domain of Plan International. We look at how we can build resilience because this country has relied on food assistance to an extent that it is even undermining the resilience of people,” he said.