Several farmers in Northern Bahr el State are lamenting the lack of inputs, including improved seeds, tractors, and cash, among others, to kickstart farming activities this agricultural season.
A farmer from Aweil East County, who only identified himself as Santino, told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that many of his colleagues have not prepared their farms and gardens due to a lack of money and the absence of tractors and fuel.
“Many feddans have not been prepared up to now, and the time elapsing,” he stated. “The other challenges are that we lack tractors, enough cash, and fuel to ease farming activities.”
Another farmer, Marko Guot, who resides in Aweil Center County’s Aroyo Payam, said his cultivation was disturbed by high food prices in the local markets.
“The scarcity of food items such as sorghum, sugar, and onions, and others has affected our progress negatively because many people struggle to meet the feeding needs when farming,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, Garang Amuk, the Deputy Chairperson for Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Farmers Union, faulted the government for not supporting farmers, saying that relevant government departments have not supplied inputs in time.
“The hunger, diseases, and living hardships we have will not change because we are blaming the government for not considering the agriculture sector and providing important agricultural inputs,” he said.
On his part, Garang Chan Atak, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, acknowledged that they lack funds to support farmers.
“There is no clear support that I have received or heard about,” he said.
Minister Chan revealed that he was still awaiting feedback from the national agriculture ministry and the Agricultural Bank of South Sudan.
“As the state minister of agriculture, I have already written two letters to the National Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Bank of South Sudan, and there is no feedback yet,” he said.