“Farming is the Way, when you have Food at home, you will experience Peace and Joy,” Says Mr. Kirima.

“Farming is the Way, when you have Food at home, you will experience Peace and Joy,” Says Mr. Kirima.

 By Sr. Henriette Anne (FSSA)

“We have enough land, the soil is fertile, and we have enough labor, it is the best decision one can make and I’m encouraging those who are still in school to study agriculture since it is a course that if you do, you will not regret in life. Even if you are not employed, you will still get a job in life, let our people do farming, let our people of Western Equotoria (WE) go back to farming, and let every household have their own farm at the family level, at least when you have food, you will have peace, joy and children will be happy,” this was the opening remarks of Mr. Kirima Paul Agustino who is currently harvesting rice in Gangura.

Mr. Kirima who is 32 – years old noted that he started farming in the year 2013 telling the people of Yambio to venture into farming since the agriculture sector in WE is full of potential that if fully exploited can immensely contribute to the development of the state economy.

“I want to tell my people of WE, our people in Yambio that the agriculture sector in WE is full of potential that if all is exploited can contribute immensely to the economy of the state because agriculture is part and life of people in our state, its already a culture therefor venture into farming,” he narrated.

He also called upon all ethnic groups in WE to practice peaceful co-existence among themselves and promote agriculture, stressing that “if we live with each other peacefully we will be able to produce a lot of food in the state.”

Mr. Kirima also talked to the people at the state level and church levels to educate the people of WE on the benefit of agriculture. “I’m talking to our people at the state level even church level, let us schedule time in a week or month to educate our community in farming, may be our people are lacking information about farming, my people at Anisa FM if you have time in a week or a month call expert to discuss with the community, it will be better because our community luck the knowledge, if they don’t know what to do, they will not produce,” he explained.

He also opined that the agriculture sector in South Sudan has not gone through any transformation, it has never received consideration from the government since independence calling upon the government “to take full control to make WE more productive so that people can have food and eventually we could even supply other states,” he said.

Mr. Kirima who studied Agriculture Extension and Community Development called upon the people of WE, “let us not continue looking for jobs, instead, let us create jobs for our own, let us create jobs for our people, I have employed more than ten people who are working on my farm, we can do it.”