The National Minister of Agriculture Beda Machar Deng yesterday appeared before members of the National Legislative Assembly to answer questions about the distribution of the 1,000 tractors imported recently at the initiative of President Salva Kiir.

Parliament had summoned the minister appear to clarify on plans for how the tractors will be used and distributed. Beda told lawmakers that the tractors have not been distributed and more money will need to be spent first to establish mechanical centers before the tractors can be distributed.

Radio Tamazuj previously reproted that the tractors wer not part of the budget that parliament had approved for the current fiscal year and were not procured under standard procurment guidelines. Rather, officials in the presency led negotiations for their purchase from the Cardinal company.

Minister Beda Machar said that his ministry will establish 22 mechanical centers in the country for the 1000 tractors, according to a report yesterday by Radio Miraya. He said the process of distributing the tractors will not begin until after the 22 mechanical centers are ready.

The minister explained, “The process of establishing centers will be in phases. Phase one entails establishing 22 centers that is two for each state and one center each for the two administration areas. The cost of establishing the 22 centers in phase one is 39,887,443 SSP.”

“Per center this is 1,813,065 SSP so the approximate 40 million pounds is not an amount to facilitate only on center, it is only for phase one, to assist in establishing the centers all over the country including in Abyei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.”