Partnership promoting agricultural development unveiled in Southern Sudan

6 May 2011. The United States, Netherlands and two leading agriculture-focused nonprofits are collaborating to back the Southern Sudanese government’s efforts “to transform farms into businesses.”

The communiqué was signed between the U.S. Agency for International Development, Dutch government, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and International Fertilizer Development Center on May 6 at the commercial Rajaf Farm outside Juba, according to a USAID news release.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Anne Itto represented the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) at the event. She mentioned during her remarks that southern Sudan has enormous potential for agricultural development-with more than 640,000 square kilometers of land, only four percent is now farmed.

The new partnership seeks to help develop southern Sudan's commercial agriculture sector by increasing agricultural productivity, supporting agribusinesses, and improving agricultural research and technology through:

• Expanded use of quality seed and integrated soil fertility management
• Development and expansion of an agro-dealer network
• Revitalization of local agricultural training and research centers
• Development of policies and regulations that support business development, sound regulatory practices, and innovation
• Development of institutions that promote and support market infrastructure and information systems
• Increasing farmers' and entrepreneurs' access to finance.