[OPINION] – Fertile Land, Empty Stomachs: Oil Cannot Feed Us. Agriculture Can.

Agriculture Must Speak for the Voiceless in South Sudan

As a voiceless citizen of South Sudan, a land so rich, yet so poor, I write this not in anger, but with hope and a deep longing for change. I come from a community where we till the land with our bare hands, pray for rain, and go to bed on empty stomachs, despite the fertile soil beneath our feet.

We are the silent majority. We are the farmers, the mothers, the youth and the forgotten corners of this nation. And we are calling on our leaders to listen.

For too long, agriculture, our only true wealth, has been ignored. Instead, our country has relied on oil, foreign aid and politics that divide us. Yet the truth remains. if peace is sustained, if investment is prioritised, and if sound agricultural policies are put in place, agriculture will become the bedrock of South Sudan’s self reliance, food security and long term national development.

We are not asking for miracles. We are asking for seeds. For tools. For roads. For peace. We are asking for policies that value our sweat and labour in the fields. We are calling for leaders who do not just talk about development in boardrooms but walk alongside the farmers in Aweil, Yei, Torit, Bor, Yambio, Lainya and beyond.

Agriculture is not just a sector. it is our survival. It is the only way to end hunger, restore dignity and create jobs for our idle and frustrated youth. It is the key to uniting this country because food has no tribe. Hunger knows no border. And peace begins when a father can feed his child without begging or stealing.

Let us not wait for international organisations to feed us forever. Let us not continue importing food while our fertile land remains uncultivated. Let us invest in ourselves. Let us empower our own.

As a voiceless citizen, I may not sit in Parliament. I may not speak at summits. But I speak from the ground, from the soil that waits for our attention.

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