Agriculture research center is set to be established in Awerial County of Lakes state this year to begin giving livelihood skills training to the community particularly young people with an aim of eradicating hunger.
The center will be brought to Awerial by Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology whose main campus is in Bor town, Jonglei state.
Vice Chancellor, Dr. Abraham Matoch Dhal in a meeting with lakes state authorities in Mingkaman town on Saturday said the Centre will begin with the production of cash crops which channel direct income to the community.
“We will start producing onion, maize, rice, Irish and fishing will also be practiced and these will not only be used to generate income but also this kind of production will help in a fight against hunger” Matoch said.
Lakes state Governor Rin Tueny Mabor, welcome the initiative and asks the local community to cooperate with University staff as the center brings development through agriculture modern production.
“We will move away from old method of cultivation to modern one where production will be increased. This is the agenda of Lakes state first. People will cultivate in large scale, not this small farming we have now” Rin underscored.
In January this year, Awerial County authorities allotted a land of 1,000m by 500m to the Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology in Mingkaman town to establish three faculties which includes, Agriculture, Environmental management, and Education.
Kuol Manyang Juuk, senior presidential advisor and University Board’s chairperson said this should give the local community the moral to send children to schools and join university while at home town.
“I encourage you to enroll your children in school so that when they finished High school, they will go direct to John Garang University here and that will benefit you the community of Aliab” Juuk urges.
South Sudan a country with fertile agricultural land but most parts of the country are yet to get into mechanize agriculture and modern farming tools.
The country stills import most of its vegetables including tomatoes, onions, Irish, cabbage, carrot, egg plant, okra, cauliflower and cucumber from the neighboring Uganda and Kenya.