South Sudan agricultural producers optimistic of selling to wider markets

South Sudan agricultural producers are hoping to enter into legal contracts with local farmers in
order to boost production and increase access to wider markets benefiting all parties.
The head of the Gumbo-based Passion Farms Limited, Jozela Simon said most farmers in South
Sudan lack adequate knowledge about the market for their products.
“Here in South Sudan most of our farmers do not have knowledge about the market, they only
produce but they normally do not get market. When you do contract between a buyer and a
seller it is going to help deal with suppliers,” Simon told The Juba Echo in an interview in Juba.
She was speaking on the sidelines of the two-days training on contract farming at Bros Hotel.
“With contract farming you already ensure the market, as you produce in the farm you already
know you are going to sell your produce,” Simon said.

Cosmas Jada, the founder of Harmony Farm specializing in horticulture in Rejaf, said the
securing ready market for produce will relieve farmers from the challenges of looking for buyers
for their produce.
“Farming requires luck, sometime you have good luck and sometime you have bad luck, we just
get produce and then we supply to our buyers, if there is any disagreement between the parties
the agreement will act as a guide,” Jada said.
Jada said contracts between the seller and buyer will help stabilize prices of produce.
Jimmy Kato Towe, the chief executive officer for South Sudan agriculture producers union, said
contract farming will help farmers gain access to markets before they embark on production.
“Contract farming is recognized as a critical tool for strengthening agricultural value chains,
enhancing productivity and fostering sustainable partnership,” Towe said.
However, Towe noted that contract farming is a new phenomenon in South Sudan, adding it is
going to help farmers to understand the market dynamics.
“We have a lobby agenda in the union for 10 percent of national budget to be given to
agriculture as per the Maputo protocol, if money is availed we are going to fix the infrastructure
to help access the market, we want our economy to be vibrant through agriculture,” he said.