The German development agency GIZ has provided garage tools and maintenance equipment to the Yei Crop Training Centre to help restore tractor services for farmers in Yei River County, local officials and the agency said on Thursday.
The equipment, provided through the Community-Driven Rural Development (CDRD) project, is intended to help repair and maintain tractors used for land preparation ahead of upcoming planting seasons.
The support includes an air compressor, a mobile diesel welding generator, mechanical toolboxes and personal protective equipment. The equipment is expected to support servicing and field repairs for eight tractors operating across Yei County, according to GIZ.
GIZ said years of conflict and inadequate maintenance facilities had left many tractors in Yei out of service, while the few remaining operational machines were struggling to meet demand from farmers.
One farmer cited in the GIZ statement said he had been 18th on a waiting list for tractor services but was told the tractor assigned to his farm had broken down after he had been promised ploughing within three days.
David Amule, administrator of the Yei Crop Training Centre, welcomed the equipment and said its availability would allow the centre to resume more reliable tractor services for farmers.
Isaac Asiki, director of agriculture in the county Agriculture Department, called for the equipment to be put into immediate use and urged those responsible to ensure its proper maintenance.
GIZ said repairing the tractors could help at least 3,000 farmers expand the area they cultivate. The serviced machinery is expected to bring more than 10,000 hectares of land into cultivation, it said.
The CDRD project will also train tractor operators and farmers in the use of agricultural machinery for ploughing, harrowing and sowing, according to GIZ.
GIZ implements the project in South Sudan on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The project is co-funded by the European Union and the Netherlands.
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