A landlocked country, South Sudan nevertheless boasts significant wetland and freshwater fish resources thanks to the White Nile River (pictured as it passes through the capital, Juba) and the Sudd swamps.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
The Government of South Sudan and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have launched a joint project for the development of sustainable and climate-resilient value chains for sorghum and fisheries, which includes as one of its objectives that, by 2027, the African country will become a fish exporter.
Funded with USD 41.8 million, the so-called Sustainable Agriculture Development Project (SADEP) aims to strengthen food security, foster resilience and improve the rural livelihoods of more than 110,000 people across the country.
"SADEP advances climate-resilient food systems, strengthens livelihoods in fragile settings, and places rural communities at the centre. In a context like South Sudan, sustained and predictable financing is essential to translate these gains into long-term stability and food security," said Caroline Mwongera, IFAD Country Director in South Sudan.
A specialised agency of the United Nations, IFAD is the only international financial institution exclusively focused on rural transformation. The fund invests in rural people and their communities, creating jobs, resilient economies, and shared prosperity and stability.
IFAD's release noted that SADEP will focus on developing climate-resilient and sustainable sorghum and fisheries value chains, reducing post-harvest losses, and expanding access to markets, finance, and agricultural services.
According to FAO, the Republic of South Sudan is a landlocked country in east-central Africa that nevertheless boasts significant wetland and freshwater fish resources thanks to the White Nile River, one of the country's main rivers, and the Sudd swamps (between Malakal and Bor).
The UN organization further states that the country has high biodiversity and fishery resources, with a total area available for capture fisheries of approximately 80,000 km². However, fishing is highly seasonal, with two-thirds of the catch occurring during the rainy season—from May to September—and most of the catch being consumed locally.
FAO's summary also points out that fishers use traditional fishing and processing technology that it describes as "inefficient," resulting in high post-harvest losses. "They also lack organization, skills and means to scale up their operations to capture the enormous market opportunities," it continues.
Even so, with over 220,000 fishers, fishing supports the livelihoods of more than one million South Sudanese.
Nevertheless, the organization also points out that the country relies on imports of fish and fishery products (estimated at around USD 617,000 in 2018) to meet what it calls "limited per capita fish consumption," which, according to its preliminary estimates, amounted to 2.6 kg in 2017. However, FAO adds that surveys indicate that fish consumption is much higher.
In its overview, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that South Sudan's total inland catch production was around 32,000 tons in 2018. Now, through SADEP, and by promoting sustainable practices and modern fish production technologies, the Government's goal is to reach an annual production of 200,000 tons and thus become a fish-exporting country by 2027.
The Sustainable Agriculture Development Project will contribute to this goal by rehabilitating key fishing infrastructure, including ice plants, landing sites, and storage facilities.
The project will also enhance the capacity of national and local institutions through technical training on seed and, in the case of fisheries, fish handling, supporting the development and implementation of policies and frameworks that enhance climate resilience, investing in rural infrastructure improvements, and expanding extension services and market access.
In addition, it will support approximately 18,700 households by improving nutrition. As IFAD noted, SADEP will target high-poverty and high-vulnerability areas, with a particular focus on women, youth, and other vulnerable groups, through a community-driven approach that promotes local ownership and social cohesion.
"This project advances our national priorities to transition from humanitarian dependence to resilient and productive food systems," stated Onyoti Adigo Nyikwec, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries of the Republic of South Sudan. "In partnership with IFAD, SADEP will empower farmers, fishers, women, and youth to strengthen livelihoods, with a clear commitment to scale results nationwide."
Along the same line of action, South Sudan was also one of the countries included last year in the EUR 20 million initiative NAVA (New Aquatic Food Value Chains for Sustainable Healthy Diets in Fragile Contexts), with which FAO and the European Union aim to increase the availability of sustainable and affordable aquatic foods, while supporting local livelihoods through what the FAO calls "Blue Transformation" innovations.