November 29, 2012 (RUMBEK) - Authorities in Lakes state say that crops have failed in all eight of the state’s counties due to a lack of rainfall and are encouraging farmers to do more to cultivate their land.

Failed crops in Lakes state, November 29, 2012 (ST)

Lakes state governor, Chol Tong Mayay, announced that an award scheme will be implemented by the ministry of agriculture, for farmers deemed to be doing impressive work.

Rumbek central county commissioner, Abraham Mayen Kuc, said Rumbek Central county crops failed because it “stopped raining in July in Rumbek for the first time – all cultivated crops were not harvested by farmers, which is a great setback to our community; to suffer again for hunger in this coming season.”

A farmer in Mayual village, Thon Mabor, said that “cultivation was seriously taken up by the rural community because the state government was talking daily on the radio – we used to cultivate our farms in a every season – this year God has disappointed us by offering us little rain, which did not allow our cultivated crops to yield as we expected.”

Unity state is currently calling for intervention as flooding poses a great humanitarian threat in terms of displacement of the state’s citizens, the destruction of crops and an influx of waterborne disease.

Rumbek East county commissioner, David Marial Gumke, said he regrets “what rain has done to my people – they cultivated their crops and a lack of rain has destroyed all their plans.”

(ST)