By James Innocent
Authorities of Yei River County, together with the Central Equatoria State Minister of Peacebuilding, cooperative societies, and local farmers, on Monday opened a farmers’ security dialogue.
The initiative is aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence between farming communities and army.
The one-day dialogue is organized by Let’s Go Farming Organization, a national organization registered in Yei, and focuses on improving farmers’ security as a means of boosting agricultural production and food security in the county.
Speaking at the opening, the Commissioner of Yei River County, Emmanuel Taban Seme, urged residents to continue engaging in farming, noting that food commodities have significantly reduced in Yei this year.
He encouraged farmers to work closely with Let’s Go Farming Organization to increase production, fight hunger, and sell surplus produce to meet other household needs.
The Director of the Agriculture Department in Yei River County, Asiki Isaac, said the county has recorded notable improvements in agricultural activities compared to previous years.
He disclosed that more than 400 hectares of land have been cultivated in and around Yei during the current farming season.
Representing farmers, Yassin Moses highlighted key challenges affecting agricultural productivity, particularly limited access to finance for young farmers. He also cited insecurity and the presence of multiple checkpoints as obstacles that disrupt farmers’ access to their farmland.
Meanwhile, the Central Equatoria State Minister of Peacebuilding, Jacob Aligo Lo Lado, said poverty remains one of the major factors hindering agricultural development in the region.
He called on communities to intensify farming efforts and to work collectively for peace, stressing that a secure environment would allow farmers to move freely and cultivate their land without fear.
The minister emphasized that sustaining peace requires collective responsibility, especially the involvement of community elders, and warned that conflict undermines development and livelihoods.
In his remarks, the Bishop of the ECSS Diocese of Yei, Rt. Rev. Levi Marandulu Yopete, encouraged farmers to remain committed to agriculture, describing farming as fundamental to human survival, in line with biblical teachings.
The farmers’ dialogue brought together more than 60 participants drawn from the five payams of Yei River County.