4.15 MB - Food Security Clusters

South Sudan: How a new country can feed its peopleMap 6.1 – Average start of growing seasonMap 6.2 – Average length of the green season which determines and is similarto the agricultural growing periodThe earliest dates for planting occur in the south west of WesternEquatoria (Greenbelt region) between late February and late March.Planting happens later as one moves further north. By May, most ofSouth Sudan is green with the exception of Upper Nile, which does notgreen up until June-July, while crop development in the mechanizedfarming regions of Renk in northernmost Upper Nile State peaks aroundmid-August (Maps 6.1 and 6.2).The growing season varies from justover nine months in the Greenbeltand Nile wetlands (which have longerseasons than the surroundingregions) down to just three to fourmonths in Renk and the eastern partof Eastern Equatoria.A long growing period provides alonger period for cropping andunderscores the potential foragricultural development; it allowsfor crop diversification, including cashcrops and different cereal varietieswith short, medium and longdevelopment cycles. Food securityindicators perform relatively better inthese areas.The Greenbelt and especially, theSudd wetlands provide reservoirs ofpasture and water during the dryseason, which can support largenumbers of livestock. However,occasional scarcity of these waterand pasture resources due to lowrainfall within the catchment areas ofthe Nile and its tributaries can act asa trigger for conflict (See Chapter 5).Changes in the start and length of thegrowing season are a directconsequence of changes in the timingof the northwards movement of themonsoon. It should be noted that theend of the rainfall season is much lessvariable than the start, so that adelay in the start of the seasonusually implies a shorter growingseason.37