By Ijoo Bosco
In a move to protect the local food supply, the Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Forestry in Eastern Equatoria state has issued a ministerial order banning the sale of maize stalks (silage) or fodder for animal feed.
The order, which cites a presidential decree and a directive from the food security and livelihood cluster, prohibits the unauthorized sale of whole fresh maize plants or their stalks for animal feed in the state, particularly in Magwi and Torit counties.
Minister Ochola Bosco Oringa has directed that anyone found illegally selling or transporting fresh maize stalks without proper documentation or authorization from the state’s agriculture ministry will be stopped, and the materials and the owner will be brought before the state’s legal authorities.
The order also states that unregistered traders engaged in this business will be subject to the rule of law by the legal authorities in Eastern Equatoria.
To ensure the implementation of this directive, the ministerial order has tasked all county commissioners, the Torit municipal council, town council authorities, area chief administrators, security organs, and the legal administration to enforce the order from the date of its signature.
This move by the state government is aimed at preventing the diversion of crucial food resources intended for human consumption and ensuring the availability of maize for the local population.