Local farmers in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area’s (GPAA) Pochalla South County are counting huge losses as their crops stand in water following days of torrential downpours.
Some of the farmers who spoke to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday said they have been left helpless and hopeless.
Othow Omot recounted his crop failure due to floods in July and said was hoping to make up for the loss during the second planting season but only to have his farm submerged in rainwaters.
“In July, the harvest was not much because crops were destroyed by floodwaters while ready for harvest. When the floodwaters receded, we thought the second planting season would see a good harvest but there is nothing,” he lamented. “As we speak, my maize crop stands in rainwaters. I have already lost more than half of my one feddan maize plantation.”
Owety Olung Oman, another farmer, said he was hopeless too.
“Nothing is left. In Gorkwo, all farms, including my own, are submerged in the floods. In Tier-Lul, about 10 farms are submerged in floodwaters and we cannot harvest,” he stated. “Our situation is dire and the only hope is that God intervenes to stop the rains.”
For his part, Otho Okoti, the Pochalla South County commissioner, decried the dire situation and warned of a looming hunger.
“Everywhere is flooded by rainwaters, making agriculture difficult,” he said. “Our area was also hit by the floods during the first planting season so our people will go hungry this year.”