Communal activities like farming and funeral attendance is frustrating efforts to fight corona virus in the former defunct Torit State, according to Dr. Isaac Aliardo Paul, First Director General in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
He told Radio Emmanuel on Wednesday that farmers prefer communal activities in order to carry out agriculture.
Aliardo said communities are addicted to traditional way of farming in which many people cultivate and gather in one place after farming which he said is worrying with the prevalence corona virus in the state.
He fears the desert locust that came recently might cause more harm this season.
The director-general said ‘now in town as they said corona virus does not want people to come together you see all the farmers here prefers communal farming a number of people usually come together to cultivate apiece of the land which was suppose to be competed in one day takes to four days so this could be one of the challenges and secondly the challenges of the crop diseases and they are of different category we have the one which affects animal and the one that affects the crops like for example the desert locust’.
Dr Aliardo encouraged communities in Torit majorly farmers to continue with farming activities despite the challenges of covid-19.
He urged communities to observe the precautionary measures in order to avoid further spread of the virus.
‘I am saying to the communities of Torit particularly the farmers to continue with the activities of farming despite their challenges we know well COVID 19 played a greater role in many things not only farming activities even in terms standard of living have became difficult and the movement of people are restricted we should always keep ourselves if we broke the rules for the prevention of COVID 19 we shall die all we must keep the essence of the prevention of the virus’, he appealed.
The speaker was taking to Radio Emmanuel on Wednesday in Torit.