Officials in the agriculture department in Central Equatoria’s Yei River County are calling on farmers to use the available land in a productive way that can generate income.
The director-general for horticulture in the county and senior technical advisor for the state ministry Edmond Gogo told farmers they could use the land along the river banks and near their homesteads as kitchen gardens.
Edmond Gogo says farmers may farm the land along the river banks or use the land around the homestead to grow vegetables during the dry season to provide enough greens for home use and while others to raise money to support their families.
“For vegetables, people can move towards the bank of the rivers and plant there or you come close to your house. You fill in the sacks with soil, plant tomato, plant whatever you think can be harvested easily in the kitchen garden. So do not relax, let’s work hard,” he advised.
Gogo further advised farmers to buy viable seeds from the ministry for maximum production.
“Let them also buy viable seeds that can germinate, if they buy seeds which are not germinating, this is not good. Let them buy through us,” he added.
An official of the Uniter Farmers’ Cooperative Society in the county, Nicholas Badi said with the current economic situation, agriculture is the easiest way to make money.
“Agriculture is very good. Agriculture brings money. People forget and think they will work with the government and non-governmental organizations to get money. But there is also money in the soil. if you toil you will get money to support yourself,” he pointed out.
Ludiya Sunday, a member of the cooperative society added her voice to encourage residents to engage in agriculture.
“Agriculture is very good because ever since people here depend on agriculture. It is a good practice to invest in so that people live a happy life, no famine at home, and children grow with good health,” she added.