The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have launched a mega $583,000 project aimed at revitalizing South Sudan's seed sector.
After a break in operations, AGRA is now resuming its work
in South Sudan to enhance the country's agricultural productivity. The project,
which started with a three-day inception workshop in Juba will run until
December 2025, with a focus on strengthening local seed companies, improving
seed production, and developing a comprehensive seed investment plan.
Dr. Jane Ininda, the Director for the Center of Excellence
for Seed Systems in Africa and Head of Seed Production and Innovation at AGRA,
highlighted the organization’s previous work in South Sudan between 2011 and
2019 and the new phase of their efforts.
“We are back in South Sudan and what we are going to do is
advancing sector improvement in South Sudan and we are going to do this using
an approach sustainable seed system,” Ininda said.
The project will prioritize key crops such as maize, rice, beans,
cowpeas, and sorghum. It will also focus on building the capacity of local seed
companies to produce improved seeds and expand their product offerings.
“We are going to develop a speed investment plan for South
Sudan. We are also going to build the capacity for speed companies to produce
improved speed performance to professionalize their activities,” she added.
In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, AGRA will
focus on breeding, research, and policy development to improve seed systems.
The project’s $583,000 funding is provided by the Royal
Norwegian Embassy and will support activities such as early generation seed
production, first-line seed development, and policy improvements.
While AGRA operates from Nairobi and does not have a physical office in South Sudan, the organization will collaborate with local stakeholders to ensure the project’s success.
The initiative will focus on Eastern,
Central and Western Equatoria states, Lakes State, and Western Bahr el Ghazal,
working directly with seed companies in these regions.