Government official and partners launch coffee plantation. | Credit: Victor Mangu

The Minister of Agriculture in Western Equatoria State complained about the lack of budget to fund the agriculture sector in the state.

Alison Barnaba said both the national and state governments have not provided the ministry with the necessary funding to improve the agricultural production in the area.

“We have to tell the truth. There is no budget designated to the Ministry of Agriculture in Western Bahr Equatoria, whether from the national government or state government,” Barnaba said in a phone call to Eye Radio’s Dawn Program earlier on Friday.

The state minister called to participate in a discussion about the recently launched South Sudan Food and Safety Association.

According to him, this is making it difficult for his ministry to utilize the vast fertile land in the state.

“We have vast and fertile land here, and we are supposed to invest in these lands, government investment when we harvest the food production can be used as strategic stock in the state and sent the rest to the national government for food security,” he said.

Barnaba appeals to the government to prioritize agriculture if the country is to produce enough food, rather than relying on import from the neighboring countries.

“The government should provide the budget to the Ministry of Agriculture because we have enough land and we want to invest in the land, but we don’t have any support from any side.”

On Thursday, the national Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Josephine Lagu said the government is working to prioritize agriculture and other productive sectors to revive the economy.

Ms. Lagu added that the country must tape its other natural resources and end dependence on oil revenue.

She said South Sudan has the capacity to produce enough food and export surplus to the region and beyond.

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

But according to the United States international development agency USAID, conflict and climate shocks in South Sudan have significantly damaged agricultural production.