Agronomy groups among vulnerable people decided to shift from food to cash crops supported by Tombura-Yambio Diocese.
Food Security Officer Tartizio Wandu Bimo said poor farmers want to shift for bananas, pineapple and coffee because in the past years they produced enough maize, rice and groundnuts but there was no market for their products, Anisa Radio reported.He said all the groups are now clearing their farms after the Department of Sustainable Livelihood Programme trained them how to plant their crops successfully.
Mr Wandu said the programme is currently supporting 58 groups including IDPs and small farmers and five groups of people living with HIV AIDS in Yambio, Nzara, Ibba and Ezo counties.
He said they distributed to each group goats, seeds and tools, and would soon distribute hens too.
Mr Wandu said this was aimed at achieving their five-year strategic plan that started in 2010.
He added that to make the five groups self-reliant, they opened some micro finance projects and gave them grinding mills, poultry or vegetable gardens.
Mr Wandu promised that in the remaining two years they are planning to introduce bee keeping and would educate the groups about marketing.
He encouraged people to work in groups to be self-reliant.
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