By Emmanuel Mandella

Former Minister of Presidential Affairs, Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, has urged farmers in Western Equatoria State to adopt smart farming strategies and planning to avoid unnecessary losses and to maximize profits.

Speaking to journalists at his residence in Yambio on Monday, Bakosoro emphasized the need for farmers to be more deliberate in their agricultural activities to improve their livelihoods.

He pointed out that many farmers continue to suffer losses due to poor planning and lack of strategies that would otherwise yield reasonable profits.

“Farmers must think critically about how they cultivate, what they plant, and how they plan for their harvests. Many are spending too much on labor and farm maintenance without calculating the real returns,” he stated.

He stressed that farmers should focus on controlling resources and cultivating crops that can bring significant returns.

“Ignorantly, some farmers fail to count the costs of labor and their own efforts. This is why many farmers witness mere progress year after year. Plant more cash crops that will bring money and make your families reliable and competent,” Bakosoro advised.

Local farmers in Western Equatoria State echoed the sentiments, citing challenges such as poor road networks, lack of access to quality seeds and limited markets for their produce.

“We plant a lot of crops, but transporting them to the market is difficult due to bad roads, especially during the rainy season, even when we manage to get them to the market, the prices are low, and we end up making little to no profit,” said Paulina Tambua, a farmer from Yabua Boma of Nzara County.

Another farmer, James Kumbada, from Yambio, noted, “Without proper storage facilities, we lose much of our produce to rot. We need support in getting modern storage and processing facilities.”

Bakosoro also expressed deep concern over the growing trend of youth leaving Western Equatoria for Juba in search of better opportunities, only to end up in precarious situations.

“Some of our youth leave for Juba hoping for greener pastures, but sadly, some end up in prisons or die from unknown causes, with only their bodies returned home. This is a tragedy we must avoid,” Bakosoro lamented.

Bakosoro revealed that some young people from Western Equatoria are currently serving prison sentences in Juba for crimes like theft, a behavior he regrets and said will never be associated with the state.

Bakosoro’s call comes at a time when farmers in Western Equatoria are grappling with economic challenges, fluctuating market prices, and limited agricultural infrastructure.

Mary Taban, a representative of a local farmers’ cooperative Gangura Payam of Yambio County, said: “If the government and partners can improve access to farming inputs and open up market opportunities, we are ready to produce.”