expanding agriculture and food security activities in ... - part - usaid

Crop farming:
Detailed Findings
Prior to the war, farmers had a highly diversified cropping system, including cash crops such as tea,
coffee and cotton. Farmers are now slowly beginning to re-establish this kind of diversity.
The major food crops cultivated in Southern Sudan are: sorghum, cassava, maize, ground nuts and rice.
Common horticultural crops are onion, okra, molokhia, cabbage and tomato, banana, mango, pineapple,
avocado and citrus.
The FAO-WFP-CFSAM data (See Tables below) indicates that the majority (80-90%) of the households
in the three Equatorial states is engaged in farming. Although the data did not show the labor distribution
among the household members, impressions from field visits is that women conduct most of the farming
(some land preparation, planting, weeding, shared harvesting, shared marketing). There was also note of
young male returnees moving to urban areas rather than staying on their land to farm, although officials
stated that many are now returning due to lack of economic opportunity in towns. According to the FAO
report, 2008 crop production in the Equatoria region has increased due to favorable rainfall and returnees
opening more land.
Land is not currently a limiting constraint, but acreage under cultivation remains very small (between
0.65 and 1.22 ha/hh). Many farmers are now bringing more land into cultivation in order to increase their
production. There is a strong demand for mechanized land preparation that the government is attempting
to meet through the provision of tractors. Some work has been initiated by NGOs for ox plows where soil
types permit. State governments have expressed interest in having investors develop large commercial
farms with the proviso that communities rights are protected and that the investor provide social benefits
to the communities. Support for smallholder agricultural intensification is less clear, with varying
opinions about the use of chemical fertilizers in particular.
The food production situation has shown an improvement between 2007 and 2008 according to FAO-
WFP CFSAM reports. While E. Equatoria remains a food deficit State, there is surplus production in the
other two States. However, and in spite of the increase in crop production, there are considerable amounts
of grains, legumes and vegetables imported from Uganda and sold in markets in Juba and major towns.
Eastern Equatoria is generally food deficit. Even with surplus production, access to adequate food is
often limited by lack of income to purchase, distance of markets and cost of transport to markets.
Livestock Farming
TABLE 1: FOOD DEFICIT/SURPLUS STATUS BY STATE
Food surplus/deficit (tons) 2007 2008
W. Equatoria 77 938 120,909
C. Equatoria (4,893) 23,492
E. Equatoria (31,856) (22,152)
Total SSudan (84,668) 47,238
Source: FAO-WFP CFSAM
Livestock contribute to the food, cash income, emergency savings and social needs of most of the rural
population in Southern Sudan. Estimates of livestock population in Southern Sudan range from 8 to 10.5
million of cattle, 8 to 10.5 million sheep and 8 to 11.5 goats (Sudan Operation Lifeline, 2006; FAOSTAT
2008). Livestock production is a major livelihoods asset and practice in Eastern Equatoria, and to a lesser
EXPANDING AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHERN SUDAN 31