Juba-based Retired Monyiemiji Sports Club played a friendly match against Doctors' Sports Club in Torit, with Doctors' Sports Club winning 1-0 on Saturday, April 6, 2024 - Courtesy of Monyiemiji-Retired

A group of individuals in Eastern Equatoria State have pledged to support farmers in Ifwotu Payam of Torit County with a tractor and fuel.

Called Juba-based Retired Monyiemiji Sports Club, they donated seeds to local farmers in the area over the weekend.

Indigenous farmer Ajo Noel, a member of the group who has established mechanized farming in the area says, he stands ready to support the local farmers with his tractors.

According to him, he also has plenty of crop seeds to offer to the villagers to plant on their farms.

A lawyer by profession, Ajo says, he wants to fight food insecurity in the area and improve the livelihoods of the local population.

Ajo made the remarks during a visit to his famous Igele Farm in Ifwotu Payam of Torit County last Saturday.

“I brought some of the people who came with me here because this is a mission. Some of them are from Lopit, some are from Pari, wherever they are, I want them to come and see what we are doing in Ifwotu and Iyire so they also go and do in their villages,” said Ajo.

“Those days before Monyiemiji took over their type of ruling, they made what they wanted to do during their time,” he said.

“During our time, we want to fight food insecurity and improve the lives of our people. So, this is the beginning and let us work together.

Ifwotu Youth Leader, Luka Ohide Peter commended Ajo for the efforts to enhance farming in the area.

However, he says accessing fuel for the tractors is a major challenge and urged Ajo to help them fuel the machine on loans.

“For us here, we cultivate. There was an idea that if someone has fuel, there is a tractor to plough the land but now, maybe fuel will be our problem because this tractor may be consuming more fuel,” Ohide said.

“Maybe, I have three jerricans of fuel and I want it to plough for me five feddans. Let him help us with the little we have and I will repay him later once I sell the produce,” he said.

“Regarding avocadoes, we want these avocadoes to be planted from here up to that mountain. Agriculture unites the community”.

Olok Gideon Omoliha, the Youth Leader of Iyire Boma expresses their readiness to boost agricultural productivity in the area.

He appealed for support to vulnerable women who can’t afford to purchase fuel to till their farms.

“In regards to his call for agriculture, for us Iyire and Ifwotu, we are farmers. We only have a challenge of manpower. But since we heard that there is a possibility to be helped, we know Torit will not go hungry,” said Olok.

“There is a need to help those who may not be able to afford fuel. It may be better for the youth but the vulnerable women may not afford it. You need to help plough land for them,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Monyiemiji Retired Eriyo Kamilo has offered 200 litters of fuel to enable vulnerable people to use tractors to cultivate their farms.

“For our mothers who cannot find money to buy fuel to clear for them the lands as earlier raised by the youth leader, this would be case by case that we all have to look at,” Kamilo said.

“I am going to give you Ajo 200 litres of diesel for whatsoever vulnerable person within the community on behalf of our Monyiemiji,” he said.