By Bida Elly David
Vegetable sellers from Gondokoro Island in Central Equatoria State have raised concerns over lack of farming equipment for their produce.
According to the farmers, the absence of the tools has contributed to low production that resulted into poor supply in the market.
Speaking to No.1.Citizen Daily Newspaper Friday, Doki Priscilla, a vegetable producer and seller in Konyo-Konyo market said that two thirds of vegetable supplies within the city are generated from the Island.
She said that women farmers at the Island are enthusiastic in exercising farming activities and advance from subsistence to commercial farming.
Doki said that Gondokoro Island is the most fertile land capable of producing numerous cash crops to benefit all the citizens living in the Capital Juba and others across the country.
“Gondokoro Island is best for agriculture but the only problem we face is the issue of tools for cultivation. Currently we are supplying Juba with enough vegetables and fruits. If we are to be supported with all the tools, Juba will not lack food since we have enough land” she said.
Doki also underscored that farmers at the Island are battling shortage of seeds of different crops due to lack of finances since the generated money from the sales is used for medication and education.
“We produce from the seeds we keep. We are also lacking seeds of different vegetables to ensure positive production. The little money we get from the sales is what we use for medication and paying our children’s school fees” she said.
On her part, Juan George, a vegetable retailer at Jebel Nyoka reiterated the need for cooperative societies to extend their support to Gondokoro local farmers in order to boost their production to fight food insecurity in the city and the country at large.
She said that women at the Island are the majority in petty local farming that really invest many efforts to generate finances from the produce.
“If cooperative societies extend their hands in support of these farmers, food insecurity will be brought to an end with immediate effect and insecurity will be mitigated” she said.
She also called on the national ministry of agriculture to form an assessment team targeting Gondokoro Island as the scope of studies and drive the findings from there with focus to improving production.
Recently Reports revealed that South Sudan is a country blessed with fertile land for agricultural activities but much effort is needed to bring peace for farmers to have full chance of farming.