The findings published in July said the year-on-year decrease in cereal production is mainly driven by reduced yields due to widespread floods and prolonged dry spells.

It said the overall cereal deficit in the 2022 marketing year (January/ December) is estimated at about 541,000 tonnes, about 16 percent above the near average deficit estimated in 2021. FAO noted that for a land-locked country such as South Sudan experiencing weak urban and peri- urban infrastructure, good access to markets is a necessary condition for farming to be profitable and to reduce risk of loss of surplus farm produce.

Agricultural and food products struggle to find their way to international markets partly due to the lack of adequate food quality controls.

Safeguarding food security

The AMVAT project therefore seeks to ensure quality food production with globally recognised safety and standards, and more yields for consumption and export, Hannington said. Being undertaken in Central Equatoria State, Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei, the AMVAT project is working with 100 farmer cooperatives and has reached 7,000 small holder farmers in five counties.

It is already benefiting 224 farmer groups out of a targeted 667, he said. “Food quality productivity is very key and as such this project is providing foundation seeds and skills to multiply them to the farmers,” Hannington said.

“The agriculture sector becomes very competitive by increasing productivity through value addition. Once the market access is guaranteed, skills of the farmers are improved and high standards of production realised, there will be a high increase in income,” he concluded.