- The programme will be rolled out in Bahr el Ghazal in the north, Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria and Jonglei states, creating 179,200 new jobs.
- UN’s FAO and South Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have been picked as the implementers.
- The initiative will boost productivity by an additional 350,000 tonnes of rice and sorghum and 2,450 tonnes of fish.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $46.2 million grant for South Sudan’s agriculture sector. This grant is set to finance South Sudan’s Climate Resilient Agri-Food System Transformation Programme, which is set to run between September 2024 and December 2030.
Over these six years, the project aims to deploy climate-smart technologies and production systems on a large scale while also strengthening the priority value chains of businesses led by women and young people.
The project brief shows that the project seeks to promote digital agricultural and climate advisory solutions and develop professional, technical and entrepreneurial skills to create more jobs, especially for women and young people.
This investment comes at a critical moment for South Sudan, a country that is currently ranked as the third most fragile nation in the world and the fifth most vulnerable to climate change.
Climate smart initiative targets 9 counties in South Sudan
According to the AfDB, the programme will be rolled out across nine counties and 32 sub-committees or districts spread over Bahr el Ghazal in the north, Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria and Jonglei states.
AfDB said these areas were chosen not only for their high agricultural potential but also because of good agroecological conditions, that align with existing interventions funded by the AfDB in neighbouring countries, accessibility and security conditions.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and South Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have been picked as the implementers of the project in a hybrid arrangement that gradually builds national capacity for project management.
“This programme marks the Bank Group’s first investment under the Country Food and Agriculture Delivery Compact presented by the Government of South Sudan at the ‘Feed Africa’ Dakar 2 Summit held in Senegal in January 2023. The Compact aims to contribute directly to increasing production and productivity and improving food security and nutrition in line with government strategies. It prioritizes four strategic value chains with clear production targets on sorghum, rice, sesame and fisheries,” said Martin Fregene, AfDB’s Director for Agriculture and Agro-Industries.
A total of 567,155 direct beneficiaries, including producers, processors and entrepreneurs, women and young people, staff from training providers, agricultural extension coordinators and civil servants from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, will be involved in the exercise. The project targets 50 percent of women, with 30 percent aged 18 to 35 years.
Six out of every 10 people in South Sudan struggle to get food
Overall, the project aims to increase food production in a country where over 7.1 million people, that is, 63.1 per cent of the population are struggling to access sufficient food. At the same time, this initiative is poised to create 179,200 new direct jobs in South Sudan. Agriculture employs about 70.5 percent of the country’s population while providing income to about 95 percent of South Sudanese citizens.
It will focus on using climate-smart farming methods, helping women and young people in agriculture, and using digital technology.
“The programme’s activities will help boost productivity and produce an additional 350,000 tonnes of cereals (rice and sorghum) and 2,450 tonnes of fish. They will strengthen agricultural value chains and entrepreneurship, creating at least 200 more agri-food businesses that are more profitable for women and young people,” Themba Bhebhe, AfDB’s Country Manager for South Sudan stated.
He added that “Developing digitalization and professional skills will create 179,200 direct jobs, including 50 percent for women and 60 percent for young people. The project’s combined results will help improve food security and nutrition and increase household incomes in the target areas.”
The grant brings AfDB’s total investment in South Sudan from $160 million to $206 million. Agriculture is important in South Sudan, providing jobs for 70 percent of workers.
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