Strengthening South Sudan’s agricultural statistics through census preparation

Opening session of the workshop in Juba, showing participation from government institutions, FAO, and other development partners (© FAO)

South Sudan has taken a significant step toward strengthening its national agricultural statistics system with the successful completion of an FAO technical support mission conducted from 20 April to 1 May 2026 in Juba. Implemented under the TCP/SSD/4001 project, the mission supported the Government of South Sudan in advancing preparations for the country’s first-ever Census of Agriculture- a critical milestone for evidence‑based agricultural planning, food security monitoring, and rural development.

The mission brought together national data users and producers to assess priority agricultural statistics needs and to advance the development of core technical documents required for the census. FAO consultants supported the process, working closely with national counterparts to ensure that the census methodology, tools, and outputs are aligned with international standards while remaining adapted to South Sudan’s national context.

Strong national leadership and a shared vision for data

The mission officially commenced with a user–producer workshop on agricultural statistics, convening representatives from ministries, departments, and agencies, research institutions, academia, development partners, and technical experts. In his opening remarks, Dr Augustino T. Mayai, Director General of the National Bureau of Statistics, underscored the critical importance of agricultural data for national development. He noted that “agricultural data are not merely statistical outputs, but a fundamental pillar for evidence‑based policymaking, resource allocation, and monitoring progress toward national development objectives.” He emphasized the need to strengthen engagement between data producers and data users to ensure that statistics are timely, relevant, accessible, and effectively utilized in decision‑making processes.

The Director General further highlighted that ensuring the production of high‑quality agricultural statistics is a shared responsibility, calling for sustained dialogue and collaboration among institutions involved in data production, analysis, and use, particularly for policy formulation, research, and sector planning. His remarks set a strong foundation for a participatory and inclusive approach to the mission’s activities.

On behalf of FAO, Nicholas Kerandi, Technical Adviser at FAO South Sudan, commended the government for its continued commitment to development initiatives and its productive collaboration with FAO across multiple programmes. He highlighted the consistent leadership and support provided by the Director General in advancing joint FAO–National Bureau of Statistics activities, particularly in implementing shared initiatives to strengthen the national agricultural statistics system. Mr. Kerandi concluded his remarks by expressing appreciation to all participants for their active engagement and reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to supporting the country’s efforts to enhance evidence‑based decision-making in the agricultural sector.

From needs assessment to technical preparation

Building on this shared vision, the mission focused on evaluating South Sudan’s agricultural statistics needs and translating them into clear indicators that can be captured through census and surveys. Through extensive technical sessions, national experts and FAO consultants jointly worked on the development and refinement of key census documents, including questionnaires for household and non‑household agricultural holdings, a community‑level questionnaire, detailed data collection instruction manuals, and a census tabulation plan.

The technical work was structured to ensure that the census will capture comprehensive information on the structure of agriculture, including crops, livestock, land use, and institutional and community‑level characteristics. Particular attention was given to ensuring consistency across data collection tools and clarity for future census enumerators, laying a solid operational foundation for successful census implementation.

Building sustainable capacity for the future

Beyond the development of technical documents, the mission placed strong emphasis on national capacity strengthening. National staff were actively engaged in each stage of the process, reinforcing ownership of the census methodology and enhancing their ability to independently manage future phases of the Census of Agriculture. This hands‑on approach is expected to support the long-term sustainability of agricultural statistics production in South Sudan.

The mission also strengthened collaboration among institutions involved in agricultural data, fostering a more coordinated national statistical system. By bringing producers and users of data together, the process helped align statistical outputs with policy needs, national strategies, and international reporting requirements, including commitments related to food security and agricultural development.

Looking ahead

With the technical groundwork now advanced, South Sudan is better positioned to move forward with the next steps of its Census of Agriculture. FAO will continue to support the country in the next phases, including further refinement of technical documents, capacity development, and preparation for data collection and analysis. The successful completion of this mission marks an important milestone toward a more robust, reliable, and responsive agricultural statistics system - one that will play a key role in informing policies, guiding investments, and supporting sustainable development across South Sudan’s agricultural sector.

Source: https://www.fao.org/africa/news-stories/news-detail/strengthening-south-sudan-s-agricultural-statistics-through-census-preparation/en