Mugwo Farmers Want Peace and Market to Boost Food Crop Production

The farmers say agriculture remains a sustainable source of livelihood that could help reduce poverty and food insecurity.

Several farmers told Access Radio that insecurity, poor roads, inadequate storage facilities and limited markets for their produce remain major challenges affecting agricultural production in the area.

Local farmer Moses Aligo said that despite efforts to increase food and cash crop production, farmers remain reluctant to engage in large-scale farming because of persistent insecurity in the payam.

“As farmers, what we want is peace and stability, if there is peace, we can produce enough food to supply to consumers in Yei town and Juba. Our message to the government is to end the war to allow farmers concentrate on food production”

Emmanuel Taban George, another progressive farmer in Mugwo Payam, said he is encouraged by increased food crop harvests, but limited market linkages, taxes and poor road networks remain major challenges facing farmers.

“When a farmer has produced food produce, they need to have access to markets because our biggest market is in Juba but there are a lot of roadblocks and truck drivers are charged a lot of money and these taxes are transferred back to the farmers and this makes our produce not be competitive locally or in Juba and we appeal to the government to help farmers facilitated”

Emmanuel said local produce struggles to compete with imported food items due to multiple layers of taxes that raise the cost of locally produced food.

Yei River County lies within South Sudan’s fertile Green Belt, an area favorable for agricultural production. The county has long been regarded as an important food-producing area in the country.

The calls from farmers come as Central Equatoria State Governor Augustino Jadalla Kamilo Wani earlier expressed his administration’s commitment to restoring peace and supporting agricultural production in the state.