The local authorities in Aweil South County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State have been sensitizing communities and government officials about the importance of embracing agriculture to improve local food production across the country.

Aweil South County Commissioner Luka Thel Thel told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the ongoing campaign aims to improve food security.

“We have sensitized all the citizens because we realized poor agricultural landscape is a main crisis in the whole country and we are working hard to urge the communities and government officials to embark on agriculture because it is a responsibility of all, not only in Aweil South County, but all South Sudanese,” he said.

The commissioner attributed skyrocketing food prices in local markets and the prevailing hunger to challenges in food production across the country. “The hiking of prices of food and other essential items in local markets is connected to the absence of local food production. Although we tried our best to cultivate last year, the crops failed due to inadequate rainfall,” he explained. “However, we are ready this year. Now 3.7 kg of sorghum is expensive and is sold at SSP 5,000 SSP while 1 kg of sugar has risen to 5,000 which ordinary citizens cannot afford.”

The residents of Aweil South County have heeded their commissioner’s call and started clearing their gardens ahead of the rains.

One of the county’s inhabitants who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he has cleared his farmland but lacks seeds.

“We are ready to start cultivation and those who have one or more hectares are clearing their gardens,” he stated. I have cleared my four hectares and the only problem I face is the lack of seeds to plant.”