Lakes State agriculture officials in a visit to farms in Yirol West. (Photo: Yang Ater).

Lakes State Minister of Agriculture encouraged local farmers to maximize food production beyond subsistence in order to fight the hunger crisis in the country during a visit to farmers in Yirol West County on Friday.

Poth Majak Daljang and several state officials were on a monitoring and field visit of farmlands supported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) and other partners in Abang Payam in Yirol West.

Addressing the farmers, Daljang encouraged them to be self-reliant by increasing food production and significantly contributing to the South Sudan war on hunger amid the current economic crisis.

“We need your commitment as farmers to fight food insecurity in Lakes State by participating in agricultural production at our local levels,” he stated.

The minister reminded farmers of the natural gift of fertile land in Yirol East and West, which he said, if properly utilized, can make the state self-sufficient and avoid dependence on humanitarian assistance.

Daljang also urged UN Agencies to acquire seeds in the country and start distributing them early into the planting season to enable farmers to make the necessary preparations, adding that late distribution could lead to decreased production.

On her part, Mama Elizabeth, a member of the Demonstration Farming Group, commended the visit as an opportunity to highlight their challenges, including delayed seed distribution and a lack of transportation, storage facilities, and farming tools.

Mary Ayor, a member of the Vegetables Group in Pankar Boma, said the farmers encountered several challenges, such as poor transportation and difficulty in accessing markets, despite having a production surplus.

She added, “I’m requesting the government and partners to provide for us farming tools, seedling pesticides, as well as irrigation means during the dry season.”

Mario Makur, deputy head of the UN-FAO Field Office in Rumbek, encouraged the local farmers to organize themselves into associations for them to receive assistance from the UN food agency.