Northern Bahr el Ghazal state governor Salva Chol Ayat said the Aweil rice scheme will grow to 11,000 hectares this year.
During an inspection visit to the rice scheme, Salva called upon South Sudanese and local business communities to cultivate large scale farming to improve food insecurity in all states and elsewhere in the country.
“Agriculture is the only backbone of the nation,” he said.
Salva told local farmers that the state government will fight hunger through increasing rice, sorghum, and maize production by next year.
He also appealed to the National Ministry of Agriculture to assist farmers with modern agriculture equipments.
State Minister of Agriculture Lual Dau said this year’s rice cultivation has made “much progress” compared to last year.
He pledged to implement the directives of President Salva Kiir to fight food insecurity through agriculture.