Seed shortage fuels famine risk in South Sudan
Rebecca Ajah is among those who were displaced by violence and is now staying in Bor town, but she has been affected by a seed shortage.
I want to cultivate a subsistence farm around my residential area but a lack of seeds has hindered me,” Ajah says, adding that she wants to plant maize, okra, some groundnuts and other cash crops.
I want to cultivate a subsistence farm around my residential area but a lack of seeds has hindered me.”This is the second rainy season, but farmers could not plant their crops in time because of the seeds delay.
In South Sudan 95 percent of people depend on farming, fishing or herding for food or income.
Loro George Leju Legor, Director General for Agriculture Production and Extension Services in the national Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, blamed the Minister of Finance.
We will not be to blame,” Legor says, adding it is not our fault, it is the Ministry of Finance who failed to bring in money on time, so that we could buy seeds and distributed them to civilians”.
Though her current plot is too small for cultivation, Rebecca says, she will produce some food rather than relying on humanitarian aid.
It is not our fault, it is the Ministry of Finance who failed to bring in money on time.”Even though people were forced to flee the violence, they can still cultivate crops. However, she says she lacks land as the land owner prevents people from accessing land, for example in Bor, Mingkaman camp, Juba, Nimule and other IDP camps.
Ajah says if everyone grew crops at their home compound, the food crisis would be reduced.
The humanitarian agencies are working hard to help save lives, but calls are loud for the government to do more to back up the humanitarian drive — especially distributing seeds to civilians.
Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned that the food crisis has worsened in South Sudan as funding for life-saving assistance has dwindled.
The best means to prevent famine in South Sudan is for all guns to fall silent.In May, some 3.5 million people — almost one in three South Sudanese — were facing crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. That figure is expected to increase to 3.9 million (34 percent of the total population) during June through August 2014. Observers said the best means to prevent famine in South Sudan is for all guns to fall silent.
More than 1.5 million people have fled their homes since the conflict broke out in the country last December. Violent clashes continue in some areas, despite the resumption of peace talks.
