Farmers from Naangbimo in Yambio County of Western Equatoria are unhappy because their crops are rotting due to lack of markets.
Naangbimo Vegetable Cooperative Union patron Philip Paul Nvue met with farmers in Naangbimo to discuss ways to market their produce, especially maize, Anisa Radio reported.Local farmer Elinama Bako complained that they produced plenty of maize last year but they don’t have insecticides to protect the grain and nobody is buying it either.
Female farmer Yoditha Denis lamented that most local farmers were very poor and it was discouraging to see their crops rotting in the houses.
Mr Nvue asked the cooperative to prepare a report with the quantity and quality of maize available plus the pricing to enable him look for markets.
He told the farmers to lower their prices.
Mr Nvue disclosed that the cooperative hads more than 50 acres of land for cultivation.
In addition, the union was planning to start fish farming and a conservatory agriculture system which does not need tractor or hoe for digging.
Naangbimo Vegetable Cooperative Union was established in 1979 and survived through the 21-yar civil war and the Lord’s Resistance Army atrocities in the area.