South Sudan holds its first Agricultural Fair
The First Agricultural Trade Fair in the new Republic of South Sudan was held at the Nyakuron Cultural Center in Juba from 9th-12th November 2011. The fair was opened by the Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Hon. Dr. Riek Machar and attended by Hon. Roberto Kenyi, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry for Central Equatoria State.
With the theme “the road to progress for agricultural production and trade”, the fair drew participants from all over South Sudan. In his speech, the Vice President Hon. Dr. Riek Machar emphasized the importance of increasing food production and opening up markets to help farmers sell their produce with ease. He encouraged farmers to form cooperatives and to adopt better agricultural tools such as ox-ploughs and tractors to increase their farming capacity.
Other government officials and dignitaries present included; Hon. Betty Achan Ogwaro, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Cooperatives and Rural Development, Hon. Dr. Martin Elia, Minister for Fisheries and Animal resources, Dr. Anne Itto, Deputy Secretary General of SPLM, Presidential Advisor (Elder) Joseph Lagu, Hon. Paskal Bangindi, the care taker for Land and Natural resources committee in the South Sudan Legislative Assembly, Hon. Jerome Surur, Minister for Agriculture and Forestry Eastern Equatoria State. Other dignitaries included Kevin Mullally, the USAID Mission Director for South Sudan, Ambassador of India, Mr. Deepak Vohra and Mr. George Okech, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative for South Sudan.
AAH-I was one of the key organizations that featured prominently during the fair through the Emergency Food Crisis Response Project (EFCRP) that has supported farmers to improve access and availability of food for consumption in Morobo and Yambio Counties since 2009. EFCRP has helped provide farm inputs to targeted households, promoted mechanized agriculture, improved access to market and improved post harvest management of farm produce in the two counties.
The Yugufe and Ngindo multipurpose cooperative societies that have been working with EFCRP exhibited their produce in two stalls. Mr. Mathias Duki and Mr. Bullen Nginzo, the chairpersons of the two cooperatives were elated to be part of this fair where they showcased various products such as maize meal and rice grown by members of the cooperatives.
The project promotes value addition particularly the maize value chain. The two supported cooperatives in Morobo and Yambio produce quality maize flour, which has now reached the market. All visitors to the stall were very happy; to see such the quality of maize produced and packaged in Morobo and Yambio Counties. At the show, Yugufe multipurpose cooperative society sold over 1 metric ton of quality maize flour. These cooperatives are now seeking private entrepreneurs to partner with them and become agents or distributors of the maize flour to various markets.
Ngindo multipurpose cooperative society from Yambio country had a colourful display of healthy rice plants and seeds of the fast growing NERICA 4
variety and packed maize flour while the Morobo-based Yugufe co-op displayed their well packaged and branded maize flour. They also displayed by-products that was being sold to poultry and piggery farmers.
During the four days, the farmers sold 1 tonne of maize flour, some of which was bought by the dignitaries that toured the stalls.
The highlights of the fair were the many opportunities the farmer cooperatives received to partner with potential business people interested in the distribution of the top quality maize flour that they are producing.
AAH-I is encouraged that the two-year project is already producing results in that it has not only built the capacity of farmers to increase their food production, but also built their capacity to form effective cooperatives that are giving them the muscle to bargain for better prices for their produce and hard work.
