Western Bahr el Ghazal state has received 19 trucks of sorghum over the weekend from South Sudan’s presidency, as part of efforts to reduce skyrocketing food prices.
The state trade minister, Akol Majok Rock, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that the trucks loaded with about 100 bags of sorghum and other food items each are imported from neighboring Sudan.
Majok said the food items will be distributed through local cooperatives and sold at subsidized prices.
“We have sorghum that arrived from northern Sudan and it is a support from the presidency and the state authority has received,” he said. “There are 75,000 bags of sorghum but we have received 7,850 and this sorghum was brought by a company. It will be distributed equally so that every citizen gets something.”
The distribution of the food items will take place once all the expected food arrives at Wau, the state’s headquarters, he said adding that a committee to distribute the food has been formed.
“The items will be sold at a lower price so that we can bring down the high price of commodities in the market,” he said. “As you know the current economic situation in the country, the presidency initiated this program by looking for the sorghum to support the citizens.”
“We are now downloading them into our stores and the distribution will be done through government institutions, in the markets, counties, and payams so that everybody gets food,” he added.