27 November 2012 - South Sudanese should focus on the economic value of their crops and animals, President Salva Kiir stressed today in Juba during the country's second agricultural trade fair.

"Standing on our own as a nation means feeding ourselves," President Salva Kiir told a gathering at Nyakuron Cultural Centre.

Cattle keepers must view their animals economically, rather than using them solely for marriage and prestige, the president said.

Minister of Agriculture Betty Achan Ogwaro said all stakeholders should work together to prioritize agriculture in enhancing food security and boosting economic growth.

"Farmers must (see) agriculture as a business," Ms. Ogwaro said.

She advised citizens to stop substituting charcoal-making for farming, noting that indiscriminate logging could endanger trees, reduce rainfall and decertify the country.

"Agriculture cannot be separated from the larger economy," said United States Ambassador to South Sudan Susan Page. She was astounded that many products being sold in Juba today still came from neighboring countries, Ms. Page said.

Karbino Wol, senior officer for Awurai Extension project in Northern Bahr El-Ghazal, said the fair was important in assisting the government to evaluate agriculture on an annual basis.

It would encourage many communities to produce more food in order to minimize risky famine periods, Mr. Wol said. Heavy rains and flooding in Northern Bahr El-Ghazal, for example, had destroyed a quarter of the state crops this year.

Among crops the Awurai project produces are rice, sorghum, sim-sim, and groundnuts as well as gum Arabic.

"Agriculture is very fulfilling," said former Minister of Agriculture Anne Itto, who now serves as executive director of Afroganics. "You would not only be self-sufficient in your family, but you also are able to sell."

The 200 acres of land her company cultivated this year were just a drop in the ocean, Ms. Itto said, adding that she planned to increase the holding to over 500 acres next year.

UNMISS assisted the fair by transporting 100 farmers from the country's 10 states.