South Sudan youths demand government assistance in agriculture development

By Awan Achiek  

The South Sudan Youth Organizations’ Coalition, a loose collection of over 20 national organizations has called on the revitalized government of national unity to engage youth in developing the agricultural sector.

Peter Malir Biar, the Chairperson of the Coalition said it was high time for the government to invest in young people by introducing mechanized agricultural systems to boost food production.

“The government should embark on agriculture as national priority to eradicate the widespread hunger across the country,” Malir told reporters during a Press Conference on Thursday in Juba.

A report released by the UN in May warned that over 7.2 million South Sudanese would face acute hunger by mid-2021 due to chronic sporadic violence, extreme weather patterns, and the economic impact of the pandemic.

More than one million people across South Sudan have been affected by floods sweeping across the eastern and central regions this year, submerging homes, farmlands and livestock.

Mr. Malir however urged youth to be proactive and innovative in order to meaningfully contribute to nation building.

“The youth should disengage themselves from political and ethnic violence and instead champion diversity and peaceful coexistence among communities,” he said.

Opio Moses Korsuk, Executive Director for Soweto Community Based Organization urged the government to develop indigenous breeds in scientific manner to enhance the milk production.

“South Sudan has billions of animals but we only use them for meat and marrying women. We can have scheme for milk production in South Sudan,” Moses said.

“If we invest in milk production and this milk is process well, we can be able to sell in large market in East Africa,” he added.

The joint presser was executed in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) through Christian Agency for Peace and Development.

This year’s global theme for the Youth Day is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”