VZCZCXRO5107
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0700/01 1481626
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281626Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3882
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000700 
 
DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARTER, AF/E 
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: USG-GOSS MEETING ON SOUTHERN SUDAN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  On Monday, May 25, USAID provided a presentation to 
Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) officials regarding a USAID 
assessment and recommendations for possible interventions in the 
agricultural sector. The audience included officials from a number 
of the GOSS Ministries, as well as county and district 
representatives.  The presentation focused on the design 
methodology, the criteria used to prioritize possible commodities 
and regions to be included, and the need for further analysis as an 
activity is developed.  The draft report was favorably received, and 
comments from attendees focused on the need to continue 
collaboration with the GoSS, USAID,  donors, and other stakeholders 
as the program design moves forward.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The major constraints to agricultural productivity in 
Southern Sudan include: the large number of post-conflict returnees; 
low use - or a complete lack of - improved technologies and 
practices; poor infrastructure that inhibits market access and the 
extremely weak delivery of services by both the public and private 
sectors. These are the findings of a USAID evaluation on the 
feasibility of the South to harness its potential to increase 
agricultural productivity and raise the incomes of the rural 
population. 
 
¶3. (U) The evaluation results were announced Monday, May 25th in 
Juba, Sudan at a presentation for representatives of the GoSS. The 
US Government's commitment to Sudan extends to issues of food 
security nationwide and includes plans for a multi-year, 
multi-million dollar agricultural initiative. The evaluation report 
was the first step in whether Southern Sudan can both increase the 
food supply for its residents and become an exporter of agricultural 
commodities. Potential consumers of food exports include Northern 
Sudan, and neighboring countries such as the Central African 
Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya and 
Ethiopia. 
 
¶4. (U) The evaluation noted that extensive capacity-building 
activities would be required to train residents to adopt modern 
agricultural practices and new seed varieties. To further assist the 
GoSS to achieve its goal of revitalizing agriculture and building 
trade and markets in Southern Sudan, several key activities are 
likely to emerge: improving business and management skills among 
farmers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs); increasing public 
sector capacity in policy development and strategic planning; 
promoting rural finance to farmers and SMEs; and encouraging ongoing 
USAID road construction to build and/or rehabilitate feeder roads to 
improve market access. 
 
¶5. (U) The team announced USAID's intention to initially focus on 
the three "greenbelt" states of Eastern, Central and Western 
Equatoria in the implementation of this new agricultural initiative. 
The team also recommended that the program initially focus on crops 
such as groundnuts, sorghum, cassava, rice, and maize as well as 
other commodities, including livestock and horticultural products. 
 
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GOSS RESPONSE TO ASSESSMENT 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) The initial response from the GoSS regarding the initiative 
was favorable, with a representative of the GoSS Ministry of 
Agriculture and Forestry calling the report thorough and the project 
carefully conceived. However, representative ministries at both the 
GoSS and State levels questioned the team's assertion that safety 
and security issues in Eastern and Western Equatoria states are 
cause for concern. They urged USAID to exercise flexibility in 
factoring in these concerns when making the final selection of 
communities to be served by the initiative. Attendees also urged 
USAID not to let safety and security issues override all other 
important selection criteria, such as agricultural production 
potential, proximity to sizable markets, and the serious need for 
assistance. 
 
¶7. (U) In addition, GoSS representatives strongly urged USAID to 
consider methods of formally incorporating government stakeholders 
into the process of developing the new initiative. In response, 
USAID emphasized that it is committed to being as inclusive and 
consultative as possible, and insisted that it would keep the 
 
KHARTOUM 00000700  002 OF 002 
 
 
government fully abreast of each of the program's phases and 
developments, and seek to incorporate their priorities in future 
discussions and planning documents. 
 
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NEXT STEPS 
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¶8. (U) Both USAID and the assessment team will incorporate feedback 
from attendees of the review session, and prioritize their 
recommendations. USAID will then coordinate with GoSS and regional 
officials to formalize a bilateral working group in order to 
formalize GoSS participation and guidance throughout the 
initiative's implementation.  The assessment team is now developing 
a draft scope-of-work for the program to eventually solicit 
proposals from NGOs and other development partners to implement it. 
USAID's goal is to start up the initiative by the end of calendar 
year 2009. 
 
 
ASQUINO