The "Mayombe" and "Sawa-Sawa" varieties of the cassava plant now known as Mamu 1 and Mamu 2, respectively, in South Sudan, in one of the testing farms in Maggwi, Estern Equatoria State. | Photo/ICRC

The national Minister of Agriculture and the International Committee of the Red Cross have introduced two new disease-resistant cassava varieties for distribution to farmers to address food insecurity.

The varieties named Sawa-Sawa and Mayombe were officially approved by the ministry in an event held on Friday in Juba.

According to a press release on the ICRC website, the two cassava varieties were imported to the country in 2022 for testing in Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria and Mundri of Western Equatoria respectively.

After testing the crop varieties originally from DRC, it was discovered that they were disease-resistant, produced better yields, and were found to be farmers’ best choice within the communities.

“The Approval by Ministry of Agriculture is a testament to ICRC’s long-term commitment and partnership with MAFS for a common goal of strengthening people’s resilience in the face of ongoing food shortfall,” said Adrea Heath, the Deputy Head of ICRC in South Sudan.

Cassava is one of the main staple foods within many households – who rely on it for daily consumption in the country.

However, many farmers have been struggling with crop diseases which heavily affected their productivity and hence low yields.

Over seven million people in South Sudan are at risk of acute malnutrition due to recurrent conflict, violence, and climate shocks, according to the World Food Program.