The Minister of Agriculture, Onyoti Adigo, says the ministry lacks enough funds to implement the comprehensive agriculture master plan this year.

The five year strategy was launched in January to boost food security and agriculture development in the country.

The plan acts as a guide to ministries and development partners in executing agricultural projects in South Sudan.

The framework identified 113 investment projects in the areas of crop farming, forestry, livestock and fisheries, and aggro-processing for the next five years.

Mr. Adigo says the country does not have enough funding this year to carry out projects stated in the document.

“Without funding, we will not do anything. If you need your plan to succeed especially in agriculture, you need to help the farmers,” Onyoti told Eye Radio.

“By helping the farmers, you grant them fuel and lubricants for tractors. You need also to give them some little money to help themselves. You also need to help in plant protection from the very beginning until the end,” he said.

“Also in our area, which is the comprehensive agriculture master plan, we are thinking of irrigation because we have plenty of water in the river. So if we go to irrigation, I think it will give use real assurance of having good health,” the minister said, still emphasizing that there was no money to conduct such activities.

Mr. Adigo said the Ministry of Agriculture also needs funds to build the capacities of farmers in the country to modernize the agriculture sector.

UN agencies say some 100,000 people will be severely hungry this year due to the conflict and poor harvests.

As a result of extreme hunger, famine has been declared in parts of unity state.