By Bida Elly David
The government of Central Equatoria State (CES) has taken a proactive step through its Ministry of Agriculture to boost food production through the adoption of a groundnut pilot project.
This came after the CES State Minister of Agriculture tabled a proposal for a groundnut seed pilot project during a council of ministers’ meeting on Thursday.
Speaking to the press, Andruga Mabe Saverio, the CES State Minister of Information, stated that the groundnut seed pilot project is aimed at mitigating the hunger crisis across the country, particularly in Central Equatoria State.
“These groundnuts are special seeds selected for this second season of agriculture. Normally, in the tropical terrain of Equatoria, there are fertile areas suitable for this crop,” Andruga explained.
He added that areas like Terekeka and along the border with Yirol are known to yield a good amount of groundnuts if cultivated during this season.
Andruga emphasized that the groundnut seed project has been prioritized among other crops due to its significant role in improving food security.
“Groundnuts play a very great role in food security. They are both a cash crop and a supplement that can help alleviate hunger. You can eat them raw to stave off hunger,” he said.
He noted that the state ministry of agriculture will soon have a narrative of how the bulky seed project will run.
“The minister will explain how the seeds will be made bulky for the farmers of Central Equatoria State, some farmers will buy some seeds which are not for this terrain,” he said.
The state ministry of agriculture is currently working on the logistics of how the groundnut seed distribution will be implemented across the six counties and their respective payams (administrative units) to engage farmers in boosting productivity.
Andruga stressed that the state government is eager to address food insecurity through support for farmers at various levels of production.
He also mentioned that after the groundnut pilot project, the government will shift its focus to other areas of production based on the prevailing agricultural season.
The groundnut seed pilot project is a promising step towards enhancing agricultural productivity and mitigating hunger in the state.