Farmers urged to increase production to reduce food imports

JUBA – Western Equatoria State Minister of Cooperative and Rural Development, Yona Robert Mark on Tuesday advised farmers to increase food production to lessen dependence on food importation.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Yambio, Robert stressed the need to boost agricultural production amid the start of the rainy season in a bid to boost the economy.

“We also want to take this opportunity to encourage our farmers in Western Equatoria to redouble their efforts as we are approaching rainy season farming,” Robert said.

Robert said an increase in food production will help in combating food insecurity.

“Let them redouble their efforts and continue implementing directives coming from the state and also higher authority of the country where every person is supposed to go for farming,” he said.

“This will boost our economy and it will also improve the livelihood of the farmers and I would like to encourage our farmers to continue to redouble efforts in productivity.”

He urged partners help farmers with tractors in a bid for them to embrace farm mechanization

“We need to put efforts in the area of mechanization of agriculture where tractors need to be involved in the farming system, especially those farmers who have more than 50 and 60 hectares,” he said.

He said this will uplift smallholder farmers to achieve increased agricultural productivity and commercialization.

“So, this wants mechanization and use of technology, and it also needs WFP to put efforts together with the government in the areas of training. It is very important to train our farmers in areas of farming as a business to boost their capacity.”

He said lack of storage facilities remains a major challenge facing farmers in the state as it results in post-harvest losses.

“Some Cooperatives and Farmers’ Association in Western Equatoria lack some facilities, for example, it is harder for some Cooperative to make aggregation where their lands lack storage facilities,” he said.

“We are calling on our partners who are involved in agriculture and food security in Western Equatoria to help the farmers by building storage facilities for them.”