Sacks of locally processed and branded maize flour in Yei River County. |Credit: Destiny Farm International

An agricultural enterprise in Yei River County said it is processing about 5000 kilograms of maize flour daily to create market for the farmers in the area.

The Chief Executive officer of Destiny Farm International Dara Felix, says the firm buys raw maize from the local farmers, and process it into sacks of maize for sale to local retailers.

Speaking to Eye Radio, Felix said he hopes the enterprise will open up more marketing opportunities for farmers.

“The maize we just bought from our farmers and now we process it and we are very hopeful that now it’s opening up marketing opportunity for majority for our farmers,” Felix told Eye Radio on Tuesday.

The CEO of the farming enterprise said the initiative, which started early this month, now processes raw maize bought from local farmers into ready-to-use flour and sells it to retailers in market.

“We are ow able to deploy our products in the market we avail the market two weeks ago for our main products, so the maize flour is also one of the best and its now produced within our country and we are very proud to have a product that is produced within and generated by our own local farmers,” he said.

Studies suggest that South Sudan has a huge but largely unrealized agricultural potential.

Favorable soil, water, and climatic conditions render more than 70 percent of its total land area suitable for crop production.

However, only 4 percent of the entirely fertile agricultural land has so far been put to use.

Several factors such as insecurities, limited use of productivity-enhancing technologies, non-tariff barriers, high labor costs and poor infrastructure are said to be hindering the productivity and competitiveness of South Sudan’s agriculture relative to its neighbors.

Felix also started that they are planning to engage more farmers within the county in the farming sector, starting next season.

“From next planting season, we are mobilizing 300 farmers form Longamere Boma and also Jumbo Boma, each will be in engage in production at last each should have two weeks and then we give you the seeds we have they finished seeds as well.”

“So, we give the best finished seeds but would than get money later after your production. We also give them the loan and we want over 300 in the next planting season and will be increasing gradable starting next year.’’

According to the UN agency World Food Program, South Sudan’s food insecurity has reached the most extreme levels since independence in 2011.

The situation remains dire across the country as 8.3 million people – 75 percent of the population are facing severe food insecurity, says the agency.

Economists and government officials have of recent, emphasized on adopting measures to increase the country’s local food production as a way of alleviating the global food crisis that is expected to hit the country hard.