By Otto Abut|CRN
Farmers in Magwi County are reporting a sharp drop in income from this year’s harvest, blaming the decline on worsening road conditions that have made it difficult to transport their produce to markets in Juba.
Agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for most communities in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria state, with maize, cassava, and sweet potatoes being the main crops grown for both consumption and commercial purposes. However, farmers say their produce is losing value because they cannot reach larger markets where prices are better.
Several key roads, including the Magwi–Amee road and the Magwi–Torit–Juba road, have deteriorated significantly over the past few months. The poor road network has left trucks stuck for days, increased transport costs, and discouraged buyers from traveling to the area.
Odongo Tonny, a well-known farmer and the chairperson of Wan Wamere cooperative group in Obbo, said that the situation has severely affected his family’s income.
Cue 1.. Odongo..“I usually sell at least one ton of maize grains every harvest season and earn around 1.8 million SSP. This money helps me pay my children’s school fees, cover medical bills, and take care of household needs. But this season, I managed to earn only 1 million SSP because transporters are charging more and buyers are offering low prices.” Odongo said.
Elizabeth Abalo, a single mother of five, recounts a terrible experience after a lorry transporting her 17 sacks of fresh cassava got stuck along Magwi-AMee road for 48 hours. The prolonged delay left the produce spoiled, forcing her to dispose of the entire load.
Cue 2….Elizabeth..“Two days later, when the lorry finally moved, it was too late. The cassava had begun to rot from the heat and moisture. The entire load, my only source of income was turned for making local wargi after a long brewing process.”
Amoo Josephine Lokila, the Chairperson of the Cung-Atii Farmers Group in Pajok, said partners continue to encourage farmers to join SACCOs and cooperatives so they can access better markets, increase their income, and benefit from government grants that help reduce losses.
Cue 3…Amoo..“Partners always encourage us to join SACCOs and cooperatives so that we can access better markets, increase our income, and benefit from government grants,” Lokila said.
Richard Okech William, a farmer in Amee Boma of Iwire Payam, has appealed to the government and humanitarian partners to urgently rehabilitate a collapsed bridge and restore a severely damaged road that links the area to the Nimule–Juba highway.
According to Okech, the collapse of the bridge and the exposure of the road have left farmers in the community stranded, making it nearly impossible to transport their agricultural produce to markets in Nimule and other towns along the highway.
Cue 4,..“We are suffering because we cannot take our harvest to the market. The bridge has been down for long, and the road is completely exposed. Our crops are getting spoiled because we have nowhere to sell them,” he said.
The Amee Bridge collapsed in 2022 and has since been impassable, cutting off Magwi farmers from the Juba Nimule Highway and forcing them to take the long, costly, and extreme Torit-Juba Road.
Local leaders and farmers’ cooperatives are appealing to both the county and national governments to prioritize rehabilitation of the major roads to support economic activities and improve access to markets.
Magwi County’s Director of Agriculture, Environment, and Forestry, Mr. Manik Augustine Oloya Okalanga, has recommended the trade show as a vital marketplace, not just an exhibition. It offers farmers a dual opportunity to both display their products and sell directly to buyers, thereby exploring and establishing new market linkages.
Cue 5… “Trade shows are more than just exhibitions. They provide farmers with a valuable dual opportunity: to showcase their products and to sell directly to buyers, while also exploring and establishing new market linkages.” Manik added.
For his part, Hon. Ocholla Oringa Bosco, Eastern Equatoria State Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Forestry, said the ministry, through support from the World Bank-funded Resilient Agricultural Livelihoods Project (RALP), implemented by FAO, has this year handed over four modern agricultural facilities in Eastern Equatoria State. These include multipurpose community farmer centers, demonstration plots, seed stores, and drying racks, all aimed at equipping farmers with climate-smart agriculture skills.
He explained that because the majority of communities depend almost entirely on farming for their income and food security, bad roads have strong and far-reaching effects, including reduced access to markets, high transportation costs, post-harvest losses, and limited opportunities for agricultural trade.
Cue 6..“Improving rural roads is essential if we want our farmers to fully benefit from these investments,” he said.
The minister further noted that poor road infrastructure remains one of the most serious obstacles to agricultural development in Eastern Equatoria State.
“This story is reported with a grant from Journalists for Human Rights under the ‘Tackling Mis/Disinformation Project,’ funded by the Peace and Stabilization Program of the Government of Canada.”