A farmer prepares the soil on his farm with a hoe ahead of planting season, Gitikiri, Yambio County, South Sudan. ©FAO/Arete/Patrick Meinhardt
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have signed a nearly $17 million grant aimed at supporting rural enterprises to enhance food security, boost farmer incomes, and strengthen resilience in the country.
The six-year project is expected to empower and enhance the resilience of the target groups against economic and environmental shocks.
According to the agreement, the initiative aims to develop market infrastructure and facilitate access to rural financial services
Other key priorities of the project include the provision of training and capacity-building initiatives, implementation of policy and regulatory frameworks supporting rural enterprises are also
The project will be implemented in six states namely; Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western and Central Equatoria, Upper Nile, Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria respectively.
Over 27,000 individuals with nearly 26,000 households are expected to benefit to be reached.
Josephine J. Lagu is the National Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
She said the project will enable rural producers to improve their livelihoods and that of their families.
“At the moment our people are consuming all the stuff that’s coming from the neighbouring countries. But we have the resources to start producing seriously in this country,” Josephine stated at the signing ceremony in Juba on Thursday.
“This project is very important, we need this project, it’s about our rural people, our people in the rural areas who need this project,” she said.
“This project is going to enable our rural producers, those engaged in crop production, those engaged in livestock, poultry, fisheries, those engaged in various other trades across the country will now be able to have the opportunity for their capacity to be built so that they can do whatever they are engaged in better,” she stated.
“They will be able to access some finances, so they can improve and increase their production,” she concluded.
It is not clear when will the project start, however, UNDP said it will ensure implementation of the nearly 17-million-dollar project reaches the intended beneficiaries.
Dr. Mohamed Abchir is the new Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in South Sudan.
“On behalf of UNDP, we will make sure that my first baby will grow and it will lead to great success. At the end of the day the most important is the beneficiary,” said Dr Mohamed.
“People have been talking about some of the challenges, but today I’m quite sure that those who are going to benefit from this initiative,” he said.
“I’m thinking about them. If we achieve our results, we will forget about the pains, and I hope, this is my wish that next year the same time when we are celebrating UN Day, we will celebrate also the achievement and the results of this program,” he concluded.”
The project is supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.
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