An elderly man clears weed in his maize farm in eastern Akobo on 22nd June 2024. (Photo Credit: Charles Wote/Eye Radio)

Farmers in Akobo County of Jonglei State have decried lack of modern farming tools and machinery which has forced them to turn to traditional method of subsistent agriculture with very low input, according to a local official.

Akobo Director for Agriculture and Forestry Chan Mayom said the remote area has but limited support for modernized farming techniques and majority of farmers are using primitive hand tools and cultivating in small quantities mainly for home consumption.

The farmers grow cereal crops like maize and sorghum, as well as different types of vegetables such as okra, tomatoes, eggplants, jute melon, and watermelon, among others.

Mr. Mayom said other challenges facing the local farmers are climate change and limited knowledge of modernized farming.

“If climate keeps changing, it will confuse farmers,” he said, but could not elaborate which way the climate change is affecting the farmers.

“The third one is the knowledge. If we keep on the same traditional methods of growing seeds, it is still a big challenge now as you know that climate change is changing it needs farmers to have different knowledge on how to cultivate or on how to produce seeds.”

He appealed to aid agencies to support the farmers with additional agricultural inputs and skills to enable them preserve the seeds.

He said farmers are cultivating less than a hectare as most of them are unable to afford to cultivate in large quantities due to limited resources.

“Another challenge is the lack of the general tools. NGOs are trying their best to bring these tools but we want them to be many so that farmers will not complain that we don’t have tools, this is another challenge.”

Some of the subsistent farmers who spoke to Eye Radio said they are in dire need of basic agricultural tools, improved seeds and fertilizers.

They also appealed to the government and development partners to support them with the necessary skills to enable them alleviate hunger and poverty through farming.

South Sudan’s agricultural sector is characterized by a subsistence-based approach, low productivity, a lack of infrastructure and market institutions, low levels of technology and inputs, and a high degree of rainfall sensitivity.

Specifically, rain-fed subsistence agriculture and complete reliance on forests as a source of energy and other environmental goods and services are two factors that contribute to 95% of the population’s dependence on climate-sensitive natural resources.

The Eurasian Journal of Agricultural Research says in order to increase South Sudan’s overall economic well-being, the agricultural sector’s productivity performance is crucial.