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Writer's pictureArnab Gupta

South Sudan Takes a New Stride Towards Development of First-Ever Seed Policy

Author:  

KOK, Majok Ayuen – Dr.  John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology, Bor, South Sudan, Email: majok.ayuen@gmail.com 


Photo courtesy: Jacob Mamer - FAO Representation in South Sudan (FAOSS) Bor Field Office


Preamble


South Sudan, the newest landlocked country in Africa that seceded from Sudan on 9th July 2011, is inhabited by 12.5 million people. The country faces numerous challenges in the agricultural sector, including a lack of guiding policies, low levels of technological development, poor infrastructure, and low institutional capacities at both national and state levels. There is a shortage of specialists despite years of capacity-building efforts, probably due to insufficient funding from the government and its supporting donor community.


The challenges


The problem of poor-quality seeds in South Sudan is a major concern that has, for years, not received any attention. Due to the absence of a functional regulatory framework, there has been a steep inflow of poor-quality seeds for the past two decades, with almost zero quality checks from the Department of Plant Health Inspectorate at the country’s borders. South Sudan’s Plant Health Inspectorate has no visible offices at the main border points such as Nimule, Joda, Madiupe, Kaya, and Nadapal. This has heavily impacted agricultural production, with most farmers struggling with substandard seeds and other inputs for their farming needs.


Agricultural production is relatively low compared to other countries in the region, with very high grain yield gaps. For instance, average sorghum production is 1.1 tons/ha in South Sudan compared to 2.5 tons/ha in East Africa, 3.5 tons/ha in Europe, and more than 6 tons/ha (under controlled experiments) in North America. These yield differences are attributed to the quality of inputs—mainly seed, fertilizer, irrigation technologies, access to well-equipped research laboratories, precision agriculture, improved cultural practices, and availability and access to insecticides and herbicides.


The South Sudan government has requested the international community, particularly donors, for support to protect the country from economic folding. Stakeholders in agriculture have recently drummed up support for South Sudan’s agriculture sector. One of the intervention areas is the development of a seed policy. Stakeholders and partners, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Wageningen University and Research (WUR), and Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, have delivered their support towards the development of the seed sector. FAO runs a series of seed security assessments to identify yield gaps; AGRA is focusing on crop improvement programs, while WUR and Alliance are working to improve farmers’ access to affordable and quality seed, including conservation of farmers' seed through community seed banks.


South Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture has not been able to finalize a draft policy on seeds mainly due to the civil wars in 2013 and 2016. After the signing of the international community-backed Re-Vitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCISS) in 2018, the Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU), a partnership government based on power-sharing between parties to the South Sudan conflict, has not been able to allocate a budget for seed policy development. Unfortunately, in April 2024, the country stopped oil production after the war in Sudan led to the breakage of pipelines and oil spillage that also affected the environment. With South Sudan facing economic hardship exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan, the situation has become more challenging.


New steps


However, more recently, an initiative was developed to continue working on the national seed policy. On 15th August 2024, the National Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, with support from one of the state partners, convened a stakeholder consultative meeting at Juba’s Landmark Hotel to review the long-shelved South Sudan draft seed policy document (drafted in 2012). At the meeting, participants elaborated key content of the seed policy, which will be reviewed by the technical working group and incorporated into the final document when deemed appropriate. The technical working group agreed to provide regular updates to stakeholders on the progress of the seed policy documents. A consultant will review the work of the technical working group and provide expert opinion before the final tabling of the draft policy to the parliamentary committee on agriculture.


Photo courtesy: Jacob Mamer - FAO Representation in South Sudan (FAOSS) Bor Field Office


Recommendations


The urgency to finalize the seed policy cannot be overstated. Implementing a robust seed policy will regulate the influx of seeds into the country, ensuring that farmers have access to high-quality seeds. This will, in turn, boost agricultural productivity, enhance food security, and reduce the country's dependence on oil revenues and international aid. The following is recommended:


1. Policy Finalization: The Ministry of Agriculture should prioritize the finalization of the seed policy despite the economic challenges, possibly by reallocating existing resources or seeking targeted funding from international partners.


2. Capacity Building: Invest in strengthening the Department of Plant Health Inspectorate by establishing offices at major border points and training inspectors to enforce seed quality standards.


3. Stakeholder Engagement: Continue engaging with stakeholders, including seed quality control boards, farmers, seed companies, and international organizations, to gather input and ensure the policy meets the needs of all parties involved.


4. Public Awareness: Launch awareness campaigns to educate farmers about the importance of using quality declared seed, certified seeds and the upcoming changes in seed regulations for quality assurance.


Conclusion


South Sudan's economy depends on oil proceeds to finance most of its ventures, including agriculture. The halt in oil flow due to conflict in Sudan may affect the policy review process. Additionally, the recent extension of the government’s mandate and postponement of elections from December 2024 to December 2026 may potentially destabilize the country’s current peace, further delaying policy development.

The seed policy has been long overdue, dating back to 2012 when the document was first drafted. All seed business and trade across the borders of South Sudan are unregulated, which could be detrimental to the country’s food systems. There is an urgent need to finalize the seed policy document to improve the situation for farmers in South Sudan and to safeguard the nation's food security.

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