Farmer Giil Kuot shows to extension worker eaten sorghum stalk. (Photo: File).

Farmers in Renk County of Upper Nile State have confirmed receiving around 300 million South Sudan pounds from the Agricultural Bank of South Sudan, but added that it is not enough and has only increased fuel price amid the dire inflation.

Nyok Deng Ayiik, the Chairperson of Renk Farmers Union, said they had requested that the Bank supplies them with farming seeds, fuel, equipment and fertilizers instead of the cash.

Deng said the bank response is not the expected agricultural financing, but an ordinary loan that they will have to pay back with profit after six months.

Although he commended the financial intervention Mr. Deng says the loan in depreciating local currency has sharply increased fuel price in the area.

Nyok said the barrel of diesel that was at around 1,300,000 SSP is now 2,000,000 SSP.

“It not too bad. It can help but we were only in need of more funding, so whoever can help you with money, urgently to be pay back after six month that is a great help,” he said.

“We are not saying they did not help us, but we were wanted help bigger than this. If it is the diesel, let it be diesel and not money, because this money it has increased the price of deasil here.”

“In Renk here, we used to buy the barrel of deasil with around 1,150,000 to 1,300,000 SSP, but after the agriculture bank brought the money, the price of deasil has increased to 2,000,0000.”

However, Nyok said despite the Agricultural Bank intervention, many farmers have failed to secure the over 300 million pounds, adding that the amount can be only be enough for one farmer.

“I am seeing most of my famers failed to secure that fund. The real farmers they did not got it. We are still gathering the amount of that fund that has reached to famers.”

In July, farmers in the area said they were unable to cultivate nearly a million acres of land due to the unfulfilled funding pledge made by the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Bank of South Sudan.

The leadership of the Agricultural Bank previously visited Renk and promised funding to farmers for the 2024 season.

But Kur Dau, one of the farmers, said over a million acres were prepared for plantation this year, only for such swathes of land to be left to fallow because of unfulfilled pledges.