Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Hussein Abdelbagi, has called on the private sector to invest their resources and efforts in productive agricultural activities to boost the nation’s economy.
Speaking at the opening of the 3rd edition of the Juba Economic Forum on Tuesday, Minister Abdelbagi emphasized that the agriculture sector should be central to the country’s economic transformation.
He pointed out that South Sudan is facing a critical juncture due to reductions in foreign aid, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable economic growth.
Abdelbagi encouraged the private sector to draw lessons from countries like Kenya and Rwanda, where local entrepreneurs, with the support of their governments and development partners, have successfully developed agricultural value chains.
South Sudan possesses vast arable land, rich water bodies, and a capable youth population. But, unless we put these to work, they will remain untapped potential,” he stated.
“Agriculture must become a cornerstone of economic transformation for subsistence to surplus and from fragmentation to commercialization.
“We call our the private sector to redirect their capital and energy toward productive agricultural ventures in farming through agriculture processing, value chain, irrigation, mechanization, storage, and export logistics,” he added.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating a favorable environment for agree-businesses to thrive.
Despite having extensive fertile land, South Sudan currently imports a significant portion of its food from neighbouring countries such as Uganda and Kenya.
Farmers across the nation have consistently raised concerns about the impact of conflict, insufficient government support, particularly regarding pest control, limited access to fuel, and the absence of stable markets for their agricultural products.
Last month, the Economic Cluster approved SSP 62 billion to support farming operations in preparation for the rainy season.
Following a related meeting, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Lily Albino Akol, instructed all state governors and chief administrators to allocate 250,000 hectares of land in their respective states for agricultural purposes.
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