President Kiir | Photo: Office of the President.

President Salva Kiir on Tuesday urged the UN to support South Sudan in its endeavors to develop a sustainable agricultural system to maximize food production.

Kiir made the plea in a meeting with visiting Director-General of UN FAO Qu Dongyu, the President of the International Fund for Agriculture Development Dr. Alvaro Lario, and the Executive Director of WFP Cindy McCain in Juba.

According to the Office of the President, Mr. Kiir urged the development partners to improve the country’s food production capacity.

On her part, Agriculture Minister Josephine Lagu said the UN officials visited the country to assess the food security situation and the plight of the people fleeing the conflict in Sudan.

Meanwhile, IFAD President Dr. Alvaro Lario said the UN team is in South Sudan to strengthen collaborative efforts towards improving food production, through new technologies and new investments.

The leaders from FAO, IFAD, and WFP also said immediate action and investment in resilience were needed to avert the food crisis.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, up to 95 percent of South Sudanese rely on farming, herding, or fishing.

But conflict and climate-driven shocks in South Sudan have significantly damaged agricultural production, which is South Sudan’s primary economic sector and source of livelihoods.

U.S. international development agency – USAID says dramatic increases in food prices caused by soaring inflation, and low food production due to conflict or natural disasters have worsened food insecurity in the country.

“Any disruption to this (agricultural) sector causes ripple effects and has the potential to harm South Sudan’s overall economy,” the agency warns.