By Philip Buda Ladu
The national Council of Ministers has adopted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between South Sudan and the People’s Republic of China to foster cooperation in the field of agriculture and food security in the country.
Deputy National Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Lily Albino Akol presented the Memorandum of Understanding between to the cabinet during its regular meeting No.14/2024 chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Friday 30, August, 2024.
Jacob Maiju Korok, deputy minister of Information and Acting Government Spokesperson, explained the significances of the MoU to South Sudan in regards to the government’s quest to develop agriculture as the backbone of the national economic.
“The memo aims to promote mutual beneficial cooperation and joint development in the field of agriculture,” Korok told reporters on Friday.
“The areas of cooperation that are included in this MoU are; the development of agriculture and food security policy; production and marketing of the food; research, innovation and extension services; animal production and animal health and horticulture” he highlighted.
The acting government spokesman noted that the memo was unanimously passed by the cabinet after its deliberation.
In 2015 the government announced that President Salva Kiir ‘donated’ 1,000 tractors to the National Ministry of Agriculture to boost food production.
However officials couldn’t explain whether the initiative was a private one headed by Salva Kiir, a government one or a joint public-private venture.
During the handing over ceremony for the tractors, president Kiir directed that the tractors should be used for public benefit, rather than for private or individuals. But since then no tangible development in the country’s agricultural sector has been seen as a result of those tractors been put to use.