Kiir calls for increased food production to avoid relief dependency
August 29, 2011 (JUBA) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Sunday called on citizens of the newly independent nation to increase food production to reduce reliance on aid and enable the country to export food to neighboring countries.
“Are we serious people? Indeed do all of us know why we voted almost unanimously in favor of secession from united Sudan? If we are serious people, we should now concentrate on finding ways and means to build a peace and prosperous nation controlling our own food security, trade and energy resources”, Kiir said.
The country has 82 million hectares of land, but only about 4% of the land is farmed. At the time of independence on July 9, 10% of South Sudan’s the land had already been leased to foreign investors.
“Most of us know why food is scarce,” Kiir said. “I know the simple answer each of you would give me is that people stopped farming because of insecurity, especially after seeing their harvests looted over and over again by the several military groups.”
Cattle raiding, banditry and various localised rebel groups make ensuring security in South Sudan difficult.
“Also during war, everything was coming from Khartoum. As such, our people have grown accustomed to being handed food without working for it, and occasionally rations from the World Food Programme (WFP)”, explained the leader of the South Sudan’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
The president said the practice of depending on relief assistance must stop because the country is no longer at war with its neighboring state of north Sudan.
Earlier this year prices of food in South Sudan skyrocketed after the North stopped
flow of cargo through river and road transport.
(ST)
Kon Ajith Deng
Kiir calls for increased food production to avoid relief dependency
We have to address security issue first before any other issues,if there is no security,there is no food production, you must to reorganise SPLA forces,to be national army for Republic of South Sudan,now they are forces for SPLM party only,not for the Republic of South Sudan they are the cause of insecurity in the Republic of Sudan,rebels are not problem now,if you refute that,you will not achieve what you are talking about,and it will be the end of your government,we know what is going on,on the groud,SPLA forces are not friendly with civilians except Dinka tribes,if you want to keep them for your tribe,it is a big problem for this newly born nation,unlese you want this country to be other Somalia.
Akol Liai Mager
Kiir calls for increased food production to avoid relief dependency
I think the biggest challenge is the big drop in the rainfall from 9 months as it used to rain to nearly zero month.
The government must use some alternative options for both crops shifting and water soruces. Irrigation is an option, but it needs the government subsidies to help farmers.
It will be hard for those farmers, especially the Villagers who have no ideas about irrigation system leave alone finding the resources to use for irrigation.
Channals must be dug through country sides so that the citizens can use them for farming and animals drinking.
Importantly, the long terms solutions must be sought for food production for our people. The government of South Sudan with other regional governments from East Africa must join hands to advocate for the compensation of Africans from Europe, USA, China, India and other industrialised countries for the loss of rain. It has scientifically been approven that these countries mentioned above are responsible for the climate change that has lessen the scale of rainfall.
They must be held accountable to their actions for warming up the Globe. Some of these Industrialised countries has been influenced by Human Rights Activists to compensate the communities in the Third World. To my best knowledge, very few from these countries have responded positively to the call from Activists, but some African Governments might have received some compensation funds, but misused them.
The government of South Sudan needs to investigate if there has been compensations to African people who have suffered droughts and starvation as a result of Climate Change damage to the rainfall. This investigation is needed so that the people of South Sudan can get a share of such subsidies. If it gone to Khartoum as I would suspect, then it must go onto the table of negotiation between South and North Sudan for Economic Settlement Arrangement.
Gogrialboys
08/29/11 My president, security is the problem as you acknowledge it
Dear president,
I would like to take this opportunity to first, thank you for the recent cabinet formation in which all the three regions are represented. The formation of your government is indeed, the call for unity of our people, and cultivation of nationalism. I know there are critics of how you form your government, but those critics are just flying feathers in the air. There is no president on this planet that will satisfied all people, or beloved by all people, but the foundation that you the president laid and left behind, is what matter.
As you stated earlier Mr. president, the security is the real concern for our people not to cultivate. I personally, failed to understand why the government blame our citizens,while they are the one who failed to provide security to the people. The innocent life is always taken without culprit brought to justice, and this has increase the cattle rustling and revenge among communities. I thought the security of our country should be the priority one, followed by food security as always sang by everbody. the security of our nation should not be taken lightly, as thousands of life are lost every year.
Bany kiir Mayardit, ting panda apath, ku duk doot jiook col a rec baai. Yin angath a pei, loon bin panda ciok e ruon ka nguan ngot tene yin.
Ku yin ca leec banydia, ku Nhialic kek yin alanden.
bol marol ben
08/29/11 My president, security is the problem as you acknowledge it
MR. President,thanks for your agenda on behalfe of the food
productive instead of relief dependence,NO More for reliefs
NO More for Export.letus work in hand to develop our belove
nation RSS.President kiir mayardit, your promise during the
general election you said agriculture is first priority after independent of southern sudan,mr. president our people are die everday and nighttime due to the hunger specially, in Great bahr el ghazal region.
Rising of the Sun
Kiir calls for increased food production to avoid relief dependency
If Kiir is serious about food security, let him go and tell people in the rural areas not in Juba. The church speeches should stop. What percentage of Juba population actually goes to church to listen to him there? I am yet to see Kiir go around South Sudan talking to the ordinary people who matter when it comes to food production. Always sitting in Juba will never get the message to the grass-root. Leave that comfort of Juba and go see for yourself how the ordinary citizen is suffering with no help to improve their farming techniques.
Give agricultural planning and assistance to the states, counties and payams.
Secondly, stop the unnecessary employment of people to earn money while doing nothing in their jobs; an indirect way of avoiding farming by going to urban centres. Too many civil servants who do virtually nothing but earn government salary.
kaci-banno
Kiir calls for increased food production to avoid relief dependency
Is really funny, how can society increase food production while majority of the community are becoming a politicians and domonic players? Mr. president should understand that the problem is not about food increase but society brain is damage by wrong politics and laziness. I feel tried of propaganda of Mr. president on every sunday addressing people about the food increase and leaving his ministers operating agaist his plan. addressing people about what to do can not bring change but take major action then see the result.
Kaci-banno
Madit
08/29/11 My president, security is the problem as you acknowledge it
Mr.President you are very corrected to encourage your people to work for their own than sleeping and waiting for relief food every year which is done by somebody like us. there will be no more war to say later that they are not stable but my advice to you is to late them get more knowledge and skills in Agriculture. it will be very wise to encourage community to do community work than encouraging them to join politics like what others are now doing because politics are not allowing us to develop our new nation and later on we will be looking for some people to come from other countries to do our works while we are just talking. words will not make our new nation develop we better shut up our mouths and open our hands to make good use of our rich soil.