By Baraka John  

The Western Equatoria State Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment, together with its partners, has commemorated World Food Day in Yambio, showcasing locally produced agricultural products and promoting sustainable farming to strengthen food security.

The event was held under the theme “Innovate Today and Nourish Tomorrow,” emphasizing the importance of agricultural innovation in improving food production and building resilient farming communities.

Farmers from Yambio and Nzara counties exhibited their agricultural produce, demonstrating the potential of local farming to support livelihoods and reduce hunger across the state.

Gibson Bullen Wande, Western Equatoria State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting farming activities, emphasizing that food is essential to life.

Wande called on agricultural partners to intensify training for farmers in mechanized and commercial farming, including the production of cash crops, to help transform agriculture into a more productive and sustainable economic activity.

He said the commemoration was a joint effort between the ministry and its partners to encourage residents to engage more actively in farming as a way of addressing hunger and improving food security in local communities.

“We need to work together with all stakeholders to achieve our goal of eliminating hunger in Western Equatoria State and across South Sudan. Western Equatoria is the country’s food basket, and if we increase agricultural production, we can not only feed our communities but also supply food to other states,” Wande stated.

According to the minister, the event was initially planned to bring together farmer groups from all ten counties of Western Equatoria State. However, he attributed the limited participation to insecurity, saying only farmers from Yambio and Nzara counties managed to attend the commemoration.

Gbiza Joel, Programme Coordinator at Star Trust Organization (STO), described the commemoration as a unique opportunity to encourage farmers to embrace innovation and improve agricultural production.

Joel said farmer groups in Yambio and Nzara counties had received support from various agricultural organizations to improve their farming practices and produce better yields.

“Farmers from across Yambio and Nzara have brought their produce to celebrate World Food Day and demonstrate that we have the capacity to feed our communities and the nation. We have showcased farming technologies, agricultural inputs, partnerships with the private sector, particularly agro-dealers, and practical activities that support farmers to increase production.”

Meanwhile, the officer in charge of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Yambio, Francis Mauna, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening farmers’ resilience in Western Equatoria State, citing the region’s fertile land and agricultural potential.

Mauna emphasized the need for modern farming techniques, mechanized agriculture training, and the provision of agricultural inputs to help farmers increase production and improve their livelihoods.

“Through our collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and other partners, we have strengthened farmers’ resilience in Western Equatoria State. World Food Day is special to FAO as it marks the organization’s founding in 1945.”

World Food Day is observed globally on October 16 each year to mark the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945.