20 February 2025 – Over 100 participants gathered in Juba for a seminar focusing on access to finance, food safety, and quality standards in the agricultural sector. The event showcased the outcomes of nearly five years of work by the International Trade Centre (ITC) aimed at supporting producers and traders in Central and Western Equatoria. The initiative, funded by the European Union with EUR 4,825,000 through its Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, has significantly boosted the incomes of local farmers by fostering trade in fruits and vegetables.

The seminar also highlighted the project's special focus on youth and women, who made up 70% of the participants. The overarching goal of the project was to create employment opportunities within the fruits and vegetables value chains, particularly for young people and women. Through holistic support, ITC helped empower local farmers and traders to grow their businesses while enhancing their knowledge of food safety and quality standards.

Key achievements of the project include:

• Job Creation: The project generated 2,380 jobs, with 806 producers and traders benefiting from the initiative. Young people were the primary beneficiaries, accounting for 90% of the jobs created, while women made up 30% of the workforce.
• Training and Capacity Building: A total of 3,861 fruit and vegetable producers were trained on best agricultural practices. More than 60% of the participants were young producers.
• Business Development: 1,205 young people, 70% of whom were women, received training in business management and entrepreneurship within the fruit and vegetable sectors.
• Financial Inclusion: The project linked 669 producers and traders to microfinance institutions, enabling 37 individuals to secure loans totalling SSP 9,780,000 (approximately USD 7,300). Youth and women made up the majority of loan recipients, representing 62% and 65% of the borrowers, respectively.

The ITC initiative has successfully built local capacity by organizing trade fairs, facilitating business-to-business connections, and improving access to domestic markets and financial resources. This support has created new economic opportunities and has played a key role in boosting food safety and quality standards within the sector.

Quotes:

1: Hon. Joseph Moum Majak, Minister of Trade: “The successful implementation of the Job Creation and Trade Development Project is a testament of the power of collaboration. I extend my gratitude to all senior officials from the Ministry of Trade and Industry to the European Union, to ITC experts and to key stakeholders whose dedication and resilience ensured the project’s success. I also thank representatives from the public and private sectors whose valuable contributions have strengthened the project’s impact. We must now ensure that its impact remains sustainable. We must continue supporting small businesses improve access to finance, enhance food safety standards, and creating a more enabling business environment in South Sudan.”

2: Lothar Jaschke, Deputy Ambassador of the European Union: “Today we close a project that successfully fostered sustainable economic growth and created new opportunities for the people of South Sudan. Through this initiative, we have witnessed the importance of partnership in building resilient livelihoods and strengthening local economies. As this project concludes, its impact continues—through the knowledge gained, the jobs created, and the trade networks established. The European Union remains committed to support South Sudan’s journey towards a more diversified and sustainable agricultural sector. Investing in skills, market access, and value chains, with a focus on youth and women, empowers farmers and entrepreneurs and contributes to food security and economic growth.”

3: Aklile Habtemariam, Country Manager, ITC: “We are pleased with the significant progress made over the past four years under the Job Creation and Trade Development project. Through this initiative, we supported subsistence farmers and traders along the fruit and vegetable value chains. Our efforts focused on enhancing productive capacity, ensuring compliance with food safety and quality standards, and providing business management training to promote increased trade. ITC remains committed to supporting the Republic of South Sudan in addressing its development needs by building national capacities to improve the business environment for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, while expanding access to regional and global markets. We will continue to strengthen our partnership with the European Union, whose financial support has been integral to the success of this project.”

ITC

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