Farmers make bumper sales at ‘Buy from South Sudan’ trade fairs
The International Trade Centre (ITC) links potential buyers with fruits and vegetables farmers at monthly trade fairs in South Sudan.
Since August, some 93 farmers have participated in four fruit and vegetable trade fairs organized by ITC at the Medan Zahra Ground in Malakia, Juba. Farmers came from different regions such as Aru Junction, Gondokoro, Juba Nabari, Kator, Lokiliri, and Rajaf, and were connected to supermarket owners, individual buyers, wholesalers, and local restaurants, ready to buy produce directly from them.
The farmers exhibited a variety of fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, okra, eggplants, carrots, watermelons, and lemons. The farmers sold all the products that they brought, with cumulative sales of around SSP 3.28 million (about $ 3050) at these trade fairs.
‘I am growing a lot of crops such as cassava, sugar cane, and sweet potato, amongst others,’ said Viola Nancy, a young farmer from Kator Payam. ‘Selling the produce is easy because the trade fair provides good quality customers.’
Trade fairs are useful to create market linkages as producers and traders interact with buyers. ‘Buy from South Sudan’ trade fairs are organized every month by ITC in collaboration with the European Union, the South Sudan Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the South Sudan Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
About the Project
The International Trade Centre’s South Sudan Jobs Creation and Trade Development project aims to increase the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and employment opportunities for the South Sudanese population engaged in the fruit and vegetable subsector.
The European Union-funded project contributes to addressing the value addition, competitiveness, job creation and trade development challenges of South Sudan. Specifically, the interventions of the project are expected to improve productive capacities and compliance to standards for MSMEs, increase market linkages for MSMEs and enhance employability and entrepreneurship capacity for the South Sudanese labour force, focussing on youth and women.
