Renk is one of the counties in Upper Nile State producing abundance of sorghum and sim-sim| Credit | Courtesy

Farmers in Renk County of Upper Nile State are appealing to the government to intervene to save the agricultural season threatened by lack of fuel.

According to Renk County Farmers’ Union, 90 percent of the 1.5 million acres earmarked for cultivation this season is lying idle.

This is after the government through the agricultural bank did not provide them enough funding for fuel to aid their production.

The government through the agricultural bank used to support local farmers in Renk by providing low-interest loans for fuel and other farm inputs.

But the chairman of Renk County Farmers’ Union says the agriculture ministry has not provided the 2,000 barrels of fuel it promised last April.

Mr. Dau said they have now been left with one option—to plant one type of crop for subsistence use or risk losing all this year’s planting season.

“We have concluded that the season is threatened to fail due to lack of fuel,” Mr. Dau told Eye Radio on Saturday.

“The farmers did not receive the gasoline, so on this occasion, I am appealing to the president of the republic, First Vice President, and the other four Vice presidents if it is possible, they should rescue the remaining part of the season to bring to us the gasoline in the coming one or two weeks.”

Renk County neighboring Sudan in the north is known for its abundance of agricultural products such as sim-sim, sorghum, and other crops.

Farmers there use mechanized methods of farming to produce for commercial use.

“Time to plant most of the crops is gone, now we are left with only one kind of corn that can be cultivated in the remaining period of 15 days from now. Apart from this, time for planting all other crops has passed,” Mr. Dau added.

The Farmers Union in Renk used to sell their produce to the government, and UN agencies such as World Food Program. Some export their produce to Sudan.