August 7, 2020 (JUBA) - The South Sudanese presidency Friday held a meeting to discuss ways to fund a food security plan aiming to increase domestic food production.

The meeting was chaired by First Vice President Riek Machar Teny and attended Vice President James Wani head of the economic cluster, Josephine Lagu Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, and Governor of the Bank of South Sudan, among others.

Speaking after the meeting Lagu stated that the purpose of the meeting was o explore ways of securing funding for the minister of agriculture to execute its agricultural projects.

"The country is facing food insecurity and therefore the main objective of the ministry of agriculture is to ensure that the in the next few years there will be sufficient food for domestic consummation and if possible for export," she further said.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), at least a third of South Sudanese are now food insecure.

Also, the international organisation stressed that food security has deteriorated at an alarming rate since the outbreak of the civil war from 2013 to 2018.

Furthermore, due to its significant dependence on imported food from the regional markets, the mobility restrictions imposed to limit the spread of COVID 19 led to the rise in food prices following the decrease in supplies from the region.

(ST)