King Atoroba Peni Rikito Gbudue leads the initiative in a weekend demo|Courtesy

The Azande Kingdom, under King Atoroba Peni Rikito Gbudue, on Saturday unveiled an initiative to plant 35,000 palm oil trees at the Royal Palace in Bazungua, Western Equatoria State.

The initiative aims to promote agriculture, create employment opportunities for young people, and reduce poverty through increased palm oil production and value addition.

Palm oil is expected to support the production of cooking oil, soap, cosmetics, processed foods, and other industrial products.

Speaking during the launch, King Atoroba said the project is intended to encourage households within the kingdom to engage in farming and tree planting as a source of livelihood.

“Agriculture is the backbone of our community economy, and our people, especially the youth, must embrace farming for development and self-reliance,” King Atoroba said.

The Prime Minister of the Azande Kingdom also attended the launch and reaffirmed support for the initiative.

“This initiative will strengthen food security and create more economic opportunities for our communities,” the Prime Minister said.

The project is expected to be implemented in phases, with communities encouraged to expand palm oil cultivation across Western Equatoria State.