World Bank announces $113.2 million aid package for South Sudan agriculture sector

JUBA – The World Bank Group has contributed a $113.2 million South Sudan government to boost agricultural production in the country.

The project came at a time when South Sudan is facing increasing levels of food insecurity due to conflict.

The project aims at strengthening the capacity of farmers, improve agricultural production, and restore livelihood to 7.2 million people expected to face acute food insecurity in the coming months.

Josephine Joseph Lagu, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security said that the project will train farmers to help them efficiently manage their farms and adopt new technology to boost their yields.

“The two projects were crafted to help reverse the tight activities which will increase agricultural production to restored rural livelihood and contribute ending food and nutrition insecurity,” Joseph told reporters in Juba shortly after the signing of MoU.

Lagu said the project will change the narrative and give hope to the people to improve the agricultural sector.

“Such support will not only secure food and nutrition security but it will go long way to transform the agriculture sector into the commercialized sector,”

Athian Diing Athian, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning said that “We have just concluded the signing of the agreement with the World Bank for the financing of the Ministry of Agriculture with a sum of 110 U.S dollar as part of World Bank engagement to assist us with us”.

“Hopefully from here, the Ministry of Agriculture will take over, and hopefully, we will try to put this to use where it will help our farmers and agriculture industry to grow,” he added.

Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for South Sudan said the project will ensure direct income to most vulnerable households to allow that produce more food for themselves.

“South Sudanese deserve to be able to produce enough food, they deserve to be able to eat enough and they deserve to stock enough harvest,” Dione said.

He urged the Ministry of Agriculture to implement the Resilient and Livelihoods Project and Emergency Locust Response Projects amounting al is 113.2 million U.S dollars in a transparent manner.

“If this project is implemented successfully, it can restore more hope and confidence to all partners to start again putting the project back to South Sudanese to implement by themselves,” he added.