The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Country Representative in South Sudan has revealed that the country does not solely rely on food aid and managed to produce one million metric tons of cereals in 2023 from cultivating only 4 percent of arable land.
This was an improvement from 874,400 metric tons produced in 2020.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Juba, Meshack Malo debunked the narrative that South Sudanese are fed by food aid.
“One of the important things to realize is that South Sudan is not a homogeneous society. There is a feeling that South Sudanese are fed by food aid,” he stated. “No! Last year, 2023, South Sudan produced about 1 million metric tons of food.”
Malo attributed the increase in cereal production to favorable rains and improved security in some states.
He said that the 1 million metric tons was produced only from 4 percent of the land, adding that this could increase to cover 8 or 10 percent of arable land if the young people embrace agriculture.
“It is the South Sudanese themselves who worked hard. And for the first time in 2023, South Sudan hit 1 million metric tons,” Malo asserted. “And that is why we feel, and we are convicted as FAO, that there is a group of South Sudanese, including teachers, and journalists, that now need to produce for the market.”
The FAO boss extrapolated that cereal production is set to increase from 1 million metric tons in 2023 to 1.1 million metric tons in 2024.
“I think South Sudan can, every year, increase its production, and first maintain what they have. This year there is fear about the floods,” he said. “So, we hope that we do not slip back to below a million metric tons. If we can hit 1.1 metric tons, I will sleep a very happy man.”
According to Malo, there are enormous untapped opportunities in agriculture that the youth could take advantage of to improve their livelihoods and boost the country’s economy.