Farmers in South Sudan’s Yei River State have reported improved crop yields during this year’s first harvest season.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, several farmers attributed the good harvests to early land preparations, favorable weather conditions and absence of crop pests.
“If you move in the whole of TTC [Teacher Training College] area, you will find that there is good harvest of maize, groundnuts and other cereals. This has improved the level of food consumption and marketing in the area,” said Rebecca Dudu, a local farmer.
Paul Taban, another farmer, said the good harvests would help reduce dependency on handouts from humanitarian organizations.
He, however, urged the state government to restore total peace and stability to enable the farmers to embark on large scale farming.
“This year, I am really seeing positive changes compared to the past two years. I have seen maize and groundnuts products in the market and also available in homes and this will help reduce demand on food assistance from the United Nations,” Taban said.
He added, “What I want from government is to improve the security situation so that we are able to go and farm in villages by next year”.
The director general for horticulture in the state agriculture ministry, Edmund Taban Gogo, confirmed the good crop harvests recorded.
“Production this time is fine and it has closed down the hunger gap in June. The acreage has increased and people planted earlier. In the town, despite the mayor’s order stopping farmers from farming in the residential areas, farmers have cultivated all over because of the demand to produce food,” Gogo said.
“We encourage the farmers to continue cultivating and plant for the second crop season starting from August to October,” he added.
Yei River State lies within the greenbelt region with favourable amounts of rain and fertile soils.