Rumbek farm schemes face insecurity, lack of expertise

By Manyang Mayom

May 24, 2009 (RUMBEK) — The Lakes state Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, H.E. Engineer Chol Tong Mayay, said that insecurity in rural areas posed a threat to agriculture, and lashed out at Lakes state civilians for turning to violence rather than agricultural schemes to ward off hunger in Rumbek.

In an exclusive interview, Mayay affirmed that insecurity is a big threat in rural areas, referring to the crime, inter-ethnic and clan violence that has plagued this state particularly since the 2005 north-south peace agreement. One of the threats is that people in rural villages are running away from cultivated areas, he said.

He further highlighted the steps he is taking to bolster agricultural activity in the state. “I did my best — although the financial system is a general challenge to the Government of Southern Sudan — and in December 2008 this ministry officially opened its agriculture ministry office headquarters while the agriculture department office was opened in April.”

But according to Mayay, the ministry lacks professional staff and needs training to increase capacity. In this regard, five people within the ministry were sent for a one to two year diploma course in Kenya on training in human capacity-building. Additionally, he said, through the cooperation of the Ambassador of India, four people within ministry’s agriculture department have been sent to attend training in various fields for only two to three months before their return to Rumbek.

Chol Tong Mayay was appointed as minister in the state cabinet in March 2008, replacing former agriculture minister Khamis Abdulatif who in fact defected from the National Congress Party and joined the Sudan People’s Liberation party in 2007. Before his appointment, Mayay had made a surprise move to contest with Lt. Gen Daniel Awet Akot for the position of SPLM chairperson in the state, until SPLM cadres convinced him to omit himself to allow Honorable Daniel Deng Monydit to contest with Awet.

After this decision Awet in 2008 gained victory against Monydit, and later appointment Mayay as his agriculture minister despite that the position had hitherto belonged to the National Congress Party in Rumbek.

DIRECTORATE OF AGRICULTURE

The official noted that when he took over the ministerial post in 2008, he found that many personnel were being employed in some positions for which they were not qualified. There was no director general in the ministry, he added. It was difficult to remove them, so the regional government carried out a downsizing, with 122 personnel laid off at this ministry, who were paid by GOSS with three month salaries. He said that the remaining staffs, who are now working for permanent appointment, number 432, some of whom were demoted.

But he also noted, “The directorate of agriculture is a lucky directorate because it got some quality staff trained in cultivation during the war period. The Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) has provided seven tractors to Lakes state government; these tractors are going to be used in cooperative farms and a 20% cut taken from farmers. There is need for food to be made available in the market and within the society of Lakes state.”

He assured that these seven tractors will support the farmers in Lakes state. In animal husbandry, the ministry is spearheading to have her own small dairy farm. Mayay affirmed that they are giving these seven tractors as a credit to people.

“There are three cooperative cultivations farm that are comprised of Awerial county, a police cooperative farm and Mading-dhuor cooperative farm; they will pay 20% based on tractors’ prices because if GOSS buys one tractor with 35 thousand US dollars then local beneficiary will paid 20% yearly until the cost is completely paid,” he said.

DIRECTORATE OF FORESTRY

This directorate of forestry is the one of the directorates lacking manpower and quality people to work, said Mayay, mentioning that on June 1 he issued out a ministerial order banning all random cutting of morghan tress in the forests. He said that there are some county commissioners who do not honor this ministerial order, saying “There are some county commissioners who still approving cutting of morhgan trees without my knowledge.”

He advises local communities to adopt local seeds such as cassava as well others crops which could yield sooner. He also encouraged separating cattle from cultivated areas because cows always cause destruction to crops.

Recently the minister presented the forestry bill to the council of ministers for approval, suggesting that when there is actually law actually it will help to regulate the system without accumulating problems.

(ST)