SOUTH SUDAN: Caritas Luxembourg Forms Cooperative Union for Farmers in Magwi

By Paschal Norbert

MAGWI, MARCH 29, 2022 (CISA)- The Caritas Luxembourg in association with the Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development of the Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan, have formed a Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCO) in Magwi County, to aid farmers to raise enough capital to better their agricultural productivity.

In a news source dated March 28, the Head of Mission of Caritas Luxembourg François Nzabahimana, acknowledged the resilience of the farmers who in nine years have turned their meagre agricultural produce into fortunes.

“Last year they have given to the WFP 200 metric tons and this year we want to give 300 – 400 tons and our program is supporting 5,000 farmers, we want each farmer to produce one ton of maize that means from beggars in 2013, nine years later you are now givers that mean you are resilience and you can grow fast, this morning they say we are giving birth and giving birth to twins, Magwi Producers Union and Green Belt SACCO. We Caritas Luxembourg, we cannot fail, what you have done together is the commitment to yourself”, he said.

Attending the event, the Director-General in the State Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development in Magwi County promised the farmers State cooperation to ensure the progress of the cooperative.

“Raise enough capital if it is little it cannot do anything, try your level best, I am sure you will do it because we know you, if you follow what I say you will progress. We believe in you go ahead we shall work with you; we shall not leave you we shall always be with you. We are going to audit your account one by one and lastly, you will see that you are progressing or you are not progressing,” said Mr Franco.

To better farm productivity, Magwi County Commissioner, Otto David Ramson implored Caritas Luxembourg to help farmers move from using hand tools to modern methods of farming. He also appealed to all humanitarian agencies working in the county to give farmers seedlings in early time for planting.

“I appreciate the work of your hand for giving a ton of 200 that is a help to the nation, Head of Mission Caritas we can feed the whole country if you will give us the system because we are using our hand hoes. these times we need the machine-like tractors and others so that we advance 200 even to 2,000,000, so we are not wasting time as Magwi people, God has given as the land he has given us the mine we know what we shall do. Another request is as the government of Magwi county, we are going to have different groups for the cooperative within Magwi county make sure your supply through seeds should be early, so that we people plant earlier”, he said.

The leaders were speaking at the event for the formation of the Cooperative Union the SACCO in Palotaka, Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria State on March 25, 2022.