World Bank, South Sudan fund Jonglei livestock and fishery projects

June 14, 2007 (BOR) — The World Bank and the government of Southern Sudan have jointly funded a livestock and fishery project in Jonglei State which has the largest animal and fishery resources in Southern Sudan.

“The Government of Southern Sudan has made the right decision to include Jonglei State as a beneficiary of this project because the State has the largest animal and fishery resources in Southern Sudan,” said the Acting Governor of the State Hussein Mar during the launch of the Livestock and Fishery Development Project at Bor on June 13, 2007.

The project which is jointly funded by the Government of Southern Sudan and the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) administered by the World Bank aims at bettering animal and fishery production as a means of livelihood in five States that depend largely on these resources.

During the rainy season Jonglei State is waterlogged making most parts inaccessible to veterinary services and during the dry season all the streams and ponds dry up causing competition for pasture and water points. This competition is one of the factors causing violent disputes among the communities.

The Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries in the Government of Southern Sudan, Dr Festo Kumba assured the people of Jonglei State that these problems will be addressed by the MDTF supported project that will create water reservoirs in several parts of the State to avoid herders converging on few natural water points during the dry season. He said there will also be mobile veterinary clinics to follow the herds in their grazing areas.

The Minister underlined the importance of this project in addressing the effects of chronic droughts, and diseases that lowers productivity in this sector.

“This project if implemented as planned will make Southern Sudan within a decade a major exporter of animal products like Brazil,” commented Jimmy Smith of the World Bank.

The Director General of the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Dr Sam Gonda, said at the launch that on completion of the project there will have been established animal disease surveillance and control system, increased cattle trading in markets and border towns, increased fish production and improved access to main markets.

Commenting about the time taken to formulate this project, the Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries said there had been complaints from the project beneficiaries that it took too long. “This delay was not a neglect form us or the World Bank. It was the determination of the Government and the Bank to produce a document that would ensure that our resources are strictly spent on what we intend to do for our people,” Dr Kumba explained. He said it was b essential to start right from the beginning of the project on the right footing.

He described the project as “the people’s project.” The Minister appealed to the State Government and the herders and those involved in fish production to cooperate and make the project a success.

The World Bank Senior Rural Development Specialist in the Juba office, Mr John Jaramogi Oloya appreciated the positive response of the project beneficiaries and assured them that the Bank will offer the expertise needed to accomplish the work.

The Bank Task Team Leader for the project, Dr Wahida Huq, noted that some officials were referring to the project as “MDTF project.” “This is a Government project supported by MDTF,” she explained.

The Livestock and Fishery Project Development (LFDP) covers five Southern States namely, Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile. The project which will be implemented in two phases will cost $42 million. The MDTF will contribute $20 million while the remaining $22 million will be footed by the Government of Southern Sudan.

(ST)