Standing on our own as a nation means feeding ourselves. We must support our farmers and our families to grow food. And for those unable, we must offer help so they can be a healthy and valued part of our communities. Statistics show that 48% of our population are food insecure and therefore we must work hard to alleviate this issue of food insecurity. About 83% of our population are rural, it is therefore important to enable them to produce and trade crops, forestry, fish and livestock.

Overcoming food insecurity, developing agricultural businesses and then increasing trade with our neighbours is of vital importance to the future of South Sudan, and remains one of my top priorities.

South Sudan has enormous agricultural potential with a vast endowment of natural resources. We are people who are farmers and cattle herders. We are blessed with fertile lands and plenty of rain which enables production of a wide range of crops.  As we encourage farming, we should also encourage a policy of specialized crop farming. Raising cattle is in our blood; there are over eleven million heads of cattle in South Sudan. There is no reason for our children to be malnourished when we should have enough milk. There is no reason for us not to export meat and milk products to the region and the international market. I encourage investment in this sector. Prospects for fisheries and aquaculture are also great given the fact that Africa’s longest river (the River Nile) passes from the south to the north of our lands.

A third of our lands are forests. If managed sustainably, South Sudan could become a major exporter of high-grade and high-value timber such as teak and mahogany. I encourage investors to invest in the forest, but this must be done in a sustainable manner that preserves our ecosystem to avoid desertification. It is self-evident why South Sudan holds so much investment promise.

Our economy risks becoming dependent on oil. Diversification of the economy is essential by looking at opportunities for processing; packaging and moving up the value-chain in other sectors of the economy. Our resources should not leave the country as low-value raw materials but value added. Agriculture is one way to achieve this. Over time, this sector has the capacity to contribute greatly to our national income, and widen our tax base. With growth come jobs for our youth (men and women). 

I want to be clear that my Government understands the wider challenges of ensuring food security and developing Agricultural businesses. We cannot reach our Agricultural potential with poor roads, sick farmers and lack of power. All our policies and plans must work together to develop rural communities holistically. We cannot reach our potential by taking more from the ground than we put back.

I welcome sustainable investment for the long-term. Our forefathers understood this and we must not let them down. The forests control the rain; the planting of different crops controls the soil. Our Agricultural resources—unlike oil—can last forever. We must do all that is necessary to protect the future of the generations to follow.

South Sudan is open for business. I said that at the International Engagement Conference held in Washington last December, and I want this message to be heard widely and heard clearly—I encourage entrepreneurs to invest sustainably in South Sudan's natural resources.

Farmers, investors and customers; as well as national and international experts ought to make the connections necessary to ensure  investment reap the greatest benefits. These benefits must reach everyone—from return on investment, through closer trade linkages, to more secure employment, food and incomes for the very poorest in South Sudan.

We must never forget our ultimate aim: to reduce poverty by developing our communities and bringing opportunity to our most vulnerable people. Farming and agribusiness present a means to this end.

All of us need to work together to achieve food security, I have said before, my ambition for self-sufficiency in food is to end hunger in South Sudan by 2014, and to ensure our continued food security. My Government has an important role to play to deliver this, but by no means can we do it on our own. National and state governments need to work hand in hand with investors, communities and development partners.

This work needs to be coordinated and it is vital we unite around one strategy. We need the National government to provide the leadership and strategic direction for the Agriculture sector in collaboration with the State governments. It is up to us to provide the best environment to attract and retain investors, facilitate cross-border trade and promote our great country across the world.  We need the private sector to invest in the physical capital to more productively farm our lands, and invest in our human capital to ensure people have the chance to learn new skills and so better feed their families and sell surplus crops.  We need the support of our donors and international experts.

By H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit
President of the Republic of South Sudan