South Sudan government discusses food shortage and soaring prices

By James Gatdet Dak

June 7, 2008 (JUBA) — The Government of Southern Sudan’s Council of Ministers met on Friday to assess the impact of global soaring food prices on food security in Southern Sudan under the theme: ‘Zero Tolerance to Hunger.’

The memo which was jointly presented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries indicated with great concern that prices of common food commodities such as wheat, maize and sorghum have been sky-rocketing this year, posing a hunger threat in the region.

The memo blamed the situation on the region’s dependency largely on food imports from the neighboring countries coupled with high taxes on imported food commodities and lack of mechanized food production at home.

The memo also revealed that private sector in food production has not yet been developed, leaving only traditional sector to produce up to 80% of cereal production with very low output.

In Juba, the capital city of this autonomous government, the memo indicated that the price of maize, for example, has increased by 11% since February this year.

The meeting resolved that the government should speed up the development of mechanized food production by investing in technologies that could produce large quantity of food commodities, encouraging private sector investment and empowering cooperative societies in food production and reviewing taxes on imported food commodities.

Livestock have not been utilized in the region despite their abundance, the memo also revealed, leaving Southern Sudan to depend on the neighboring countries for fish and cattle meats.

Conflicts between livestock farmers and agricultural farmers have been cited as one of the causes that discourage local agriculturalists to cultivate for fear of loose cattle that roam farms and destroy their crops.

The meeting resolved the necessity to issue local orders that would punish cattle owners whose cattle devastate cultivated farms.

Chaired by the First Vice President of the Sudan and President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, the meeting after assessing the general food security situation resolved to establish ‘Southern Sudan Food Security Council’ to guide national policies on food productivity and coordinate efforts by various relevant government institutions in addressing the issue.

The Southern Sudan Food Security Council shall be chaired by the President of the Government of Southern Sudan.

(ST)