A demonstration farm in Yambio Western Equatoria is showing farmers how improved cultivation techniques and locally available materials can increase vegetable production and strengthen household food security.
Earlier this week farmers and agricultural partners harvested a range of vegetables from the CDRD Central Learning Plot at the Ministry of Agriculture, where practical farming techniques are being demonstrated and shared with local producers.
The farm produces tomatoes, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, okra, green pepper, spinach, garlic, watermelon and pumpkin.
According to Nelson Mandela Ezadin, a Field Agronomist with SNV, said the demonstration plot is designed to give farmers practical skills that can be transferred to their own farms.
“The farm gives farmers practical skills they can use in their own fields,” Ezadin said.
Farmers are being trained in techniques including raised-bed cultivation, tomato staking, mulching and the use of compost manure.
However, Western Equatoria State Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Bridget Nagomoro, said the harvest demonstrates the potential of sustainable farming practices that rely on resources readily available within local communities.
Nagomoro said the use of compost and other natural materials can help farmers improve production while reducing reliance on costly external inputs.
The Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Samuel Simon Zigizo, said the demonstration farm could become a model for farmers beyond Yambio.
Zigizo said lessons from the learning plot could be replicated in other parts of Western Equatoria State to improve agricultural production and farmers’ livelihoods.
The initiative is supported by SNV, GIZ, East-West Seed and other agricultural partners working to strengthen farmers’ skills, increase food production and improve livelihoods.
Agriculture remains a key source of livelihoods in Western Equatoria, where farmers face challenges including limited access to improved farming techniques, agricultural inputs and markets.
The partners say practical demonstration of sustainable farming methods can help bridge some of these gaps by allowing farmers to learn techniques directly from a working farm.
The harvest at the Yambio demonstration plot therefore provides more than seasonal produce; it offers a practical example of how improved farming practices and locally available resources can contribute to increased food production and more resilient livelihoods in the state.
