South Sudanese farm founded by Londoners survives ongoing war

But in the midst of the chaos, a commercial farm founded by a London-based group 13 years ago continues to survive, growing corn for a malnourished nation.

The farm has not only survived but is now expanding, thanks largely to a new partnership with Green Horizon, an Israeli-based group, which includes military veterans with experience in high-risk areas, said Jeff Lang of Canadian Economic Development Assistance for Southern Sudan (CEDASS).

The farm north of the capital of Juba grows about 1,200 acres of crops, including white corn, which is sold to the World Food program, along with sorghum, rice and vegetables.

“The World Food Program will take all we can grow and they pay a premium because they don’t have to bring it into the country,” said Lang.

CEDASS was founded in 2005 by Londoner Dave Tennant after he visited the country and had a vision for reintroducing commercial agriculture to the country.

Even though the Canadian government still has a stark warning to “avoid all travel” to South Sudan, CEDASS members have been paying out of their own pockets year after year for regular visits to the farm, training the local people to grow their own food with modern farm equipment.

South Sudan was full of hope in 2011 when it became the world’s newest nation. The mainly Christian south of Sudan had been locked in a decades-long civil war with the predominantly Muslim north.

But only two years after independence, a new, tribal-based civil war broke out between supporters of President Salva Kiir, a member of the Dinka tribe, and his deputy Riek Machar, a member of the rival Nuer tribe.

The fighting has killed an estimated 300,000 people, devastating the country’s economy with million of people facing famine.

Lang said dealing with state and local officials is more difficult than before independence. Corruption is still rampant, with officials looking for handouts.

“It’s an obstacle. If you don’t have their support, they can get in your way. If anyone puts a wrench in the things, it’s going to be the local guys. They are the ones who are going to shoot at you,” said Lang.

The farm is no sanctuary from the war.

Moses Lubajo, a Sudanese agronomist who has been resident manager of the farm for years, was seriously wounded while driving his truck back to the farm from Juba. He was shot in the arm and leg but managed to survive despite losing a lot of blood

There have also been multiple skirmishes as raiders try to steal the crops growing on the farm.

But Lang said the new partnership with Green Horizon has breathed new life into the project.

Irrigation equipment has been installed, and modern tractors and combines and heavy equipment have been brought in to clear about 2,250 acres.

In the early days the main crop was sorghum, but that was gobbled up by birds and other pests, so the crop was switched to corn and vegetables.

The farm employs about 50 permanent local farm workers and another 50 to 100 seasonal workers, mainly members of the Bari tribe. They are paid in cash and grain and get training to operate the farm equipment.

Lang said Green Horizon has a permanent presence on the farm with members living there on a rotating basis. “You have to be there. The Israelis are there 24/7.”

In the last few years a new grain warehouse has been built and a medical clinic and school were constructed near the farm to serve the farm workers.

CEDASS put up the money for the furniture and pays the teachers and other school staff. Ken Kalopsis, a co-founder of StarTech.com and a member of CEDASS, is a major funder.

The next plan is build an orphanage to take in children whose parents have been killed in the war.

Lang said the CEDASS farm has seen scourges of biblical proportions, but is now prospering and growing several crops a year in the rich Sudanese soil.

“We had drought. We had floods. We had war. We had birds, army worms and termites. It was like the seven plagues, but we never gave up.”

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