Officials in Jonglei State’s agriculture ministry have presaged that inhabitants in parts of the state could be affected by severe hunger at the end of 2023 due to poor rainfall.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Atem Gak Atem, the director for mechanization and programs at the state agriculture ministry, said the rains have been poor since April when locals started preparing their gardens for cultivation, a situation he described as worrying.
“This year, preparations by our people have been outstanding but poor rains since April remain have created a setback. We hope that we will receive rain from June to September to avert looming hunger,” he said. “Our people plant indigenous varieties of cereals which take three months to grow, meaning food will only be ready by October if people start planting now.”
“Our agriculture extension officers are providing information across our nine counties and last week I was in Twic East and I will soon be in Akobo to support our local farmers,” Gak added.
He appealed to aid agencies to provide seeds and other inputs for irrigation in the event the rains delay further.
On his part, Mading Akueth, the state chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), said the situation in Jonglei is precarious.
“The situation is very difficult now in Jonglei State because we know the rains have delayed,” he said. “We are going to sit with the partners to see how we can intervene.”