Vegetables production in Southern Sudan
Vegetables production for household food security with reference to Juba in Southern Sudan
By Jacob K. Lupai*
It is appropriate to look at vegetable production in Juba in the context of food security. When the Heads of State and Government gathered in Rome in Italy in 1996 at the World Food Summit at the invitation of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, they declared that, “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sifficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and heathy life”. This has been adopted as a definition of food security and people usually assiciate food security with agricultural production. However, food security is not merely agricultural production and availability of food but it also implies incomes for access to food. Food may be plenty in the market and yet people may starve if they do not have income for entitlement to the available food in the market. Vegetables growing is one very important activity in the agriculture sector to generate incomes to farmers and retailers in order to achieve household food security. Among some of the essential basic needs an individual must have in order to survive as a human being, are clean drinking water, and adequate and balanced food.
Development of a vegetable production project is appropriate as an income-generating activity for a high standard of living. Vegetables production is also important in providing nutritious food to meet dietary needs for an active and healthy life. In Juba it is not clear as to what extent vegetables production is contributing to the local economy. It is noted that most of Juba market vegetables requirements are mostly met with imports from the neighbouring countries. As Juba is a city with a fast growing hotel business and expanding population it is most unlikely that imports will satisfy the hotels’ and the expanding population’s needs for vegetables for nutrition. It is also unlikely vegetables imports are in the interest of local vegetables growers. It is appropriate to encourage local vegetables production for incomes to local farmers and retailers for self-reliance. The situation of poor vegetables production in Juba is mostly related to the 22 year destructive war in Sudan that ended with a comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) signed in 2005. The CPA brought with it high expectations as peace dividends. However, three years on agricultural development is yet to take off. Heavy reliance on vegetables imports seems to confirm agricultural development has not been a priority vigorously pursued. It could have been a priority on paper. With poor implementation of agricultural development policy farmers may have inadequate access to means of production such as inputs, improved seeds and plants, appropriate technologies and farm credit. For self-reliance in vegetables production farmers should be provided with the necessary resources. It is one thing to have a food security strategy and quite another to see tangible results as a peace dividend.
Juba, the capital city of Southern Sudan and also of the Central Equatoria State and the seat of both the government of Southern Sudan and the Central Equatoria State government, seems to have an ever expanding population. This is seen in the slumps mushrooming in Juba with the attendant filth where people without building permission help themselves to empty spaces. All these additional mouths will need vegetables for nutrition. Juba is also a home to numerous United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations operating in Southern Sudan. Juba University may soon relocate completely to Juba city. This all suggests that vegetables production in Juba may most likely be a profitable business to farmers and retailers. This may also send a very strong signal that the CPA is beginning to bear fruit in terms of agricultural development and this is likely to promote a positive perception of how serious development policy is being pursued. However, for decades deprived of access to technological advances in crop production, farmers in Southern Sudan generally use antiquated farming methods and work in a low-level productivity trap, with very low yields and deep poverty. Transforming the agriculture sector is central to the challenge of sustainable development in Central Equatoria State and indeed in Southern Sudan as a whole. A vegetables production project is therefore central to sustainable vegetables production for higher incomes to eradicate poverty and achieve household food security.
There is plenty of land and water in Juba for vegetables production. In addition to rain water the Nile flows from Lake Victoria in Uganda through the heart of Juba in Southern Sudan and through Egypt to the Mediterranean. Both banks of the Nile in Juba are fertile for vegetables production but there is evidence that the Nile banks are not being utilised far enough for vegetables production for the local market. There are also islands in the Nile which are equally fertile for vegetables production. It is obvious that irrigation will be used as supplementary to the naturally occurring supply of water to vegetables from rainfall. Water pumps will be used for sustainable vegetables production for the needs of expanding population of Juba. This will boost the local economy where farmers will have regular incomes for self-reliance.
As already mentioned above the banks of the Nile and the islands are fertile and suitable for vegetables production. It is therefore appropriate that these will be the sites for vegetables production in Juba. Also other suitable sites around Juba may be selected. For example, the banks of Luri River in Juba may be useful as vegetables production sites. The farmers will consist of both male and female farmers. It is worth noting that women are active vegetables growers and are also involved in marketing. There are various vegetables that can be grown. However, the vegetables that may command higher prices in the market should be the focus of the project. This is in order to generate incomes to farmers for the achievement of household food security. The types of vegetables expected to fetch higher prices in the market may include cabbage, carrot, egg plant, onions, tomato, okra, cauliflower and cucumber. Currently most of the mentioned vegetables are imported from Uganda. It will be a positive development when most of the above vegetables are locally produced to improve the livelihoods of the people in Southern Sudan and the local economy.
Farmer training is important to improve yields. Given the 22 year war in Sudan that disrupted agricultural activities farmers were left to their own ingenuity to carry out their farming without any farmer training to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge. Farmers relied on their own indigenous knowledge. With the advent of the CPA it is appropriate to equip farmers with modern technology and improved vegetables production techniques to increase yield and incomes for self-reliance. The farmer training may include improved cultivation methods, seed production, ox-ploughing and record keeping.
Consultants are appropriate to provide expert knowledge, for example, on the underlying causes of poverty and production to achieve household food security. They may conduct need assessment surveys. With regard to vegetables production in Juba consultants will assess the needs of farmers who are interested in vegetables production. The consultants will also advise on alternatives with the aim of attaining efficiency in production. Agricultural extension services are essential in improving production for increased yield and incomes for self-reliance. They may consist of distribution of inputs such as improved seeds, hand tools, fertilisers and pesticides. Agricultural extension services also include provision of advice and information to farmers on modern farming methods. Audio visuals aids may be used for effective dissemination of innovations.
In conclusion it is important that one of the main objectives for vegetables production should be the establishment of vegetables gardens along the banks and on islands of the Nile and also in the neighbourhood and the modernisation of agriculture for the achievement of household food security. People of Juba should not be made to rely on foreign vegetables imports for ever. There is need for mobilisation of resources to realise a vegetables production project in Juba for household food security.
*The author is a regular contributor to Sudan Tribune.