State: / Western Bahr el Ghazal / Date of Meeting: / 05thMarch 2015
Chairman / Director, State Ministry of Agriculture
Secretary: / Justin Bazia (FAO)
Participants / Participants are listed in annex 1 of these minutes
Agenda items / Responsible Agency/Person
1. Introduction of participants / All
2. Opening remarks / Director General
3. Review the previous minutes of the meeting / All
4. Updates / All
5. Access constraint / All
6. AOB: / All
Action Points
Action Point / Responsible Agency/Person
- H.E. the Minister of Agriculture requested the Food Security Livelihood Cluster to critical follow up and fast track the distribution of inputs, tools and seeds in time for the planting season for improved production this year
Discussion Points
Agenda Item 1: Introduction and opening remarks
- The meeting was chaired byDirector General who welcomed and saluted the cluster members and appreciated their punctuality.
- He thenintroduced the Minister who welcomed the cluster partners and asked the members present to introduce themselves.
- The Minister briefly elaborated on the relevance of FSL Cluster as a coordination mechanism for all partners to bring actively engage all stakeholders for in achieve their project goals in an efficient & timely manner for the betterment of peoples food security and their livelihoods.
Agenda Item 2: Review of last meeting minutes,
The minutes of previous meeting werereviewed and the cluster members agreed that the pervious action points werefollowed up by responsible Agencies/ persons.
Minute 4: Partner Updates
FAO:
Insecurity reports:
-On 14th January 2015, a convoy of two military vehicles where attacked in Diem Jalab by unknown gunmen on their way from Boro-medina to Raja. Two people were reported killed and one military vehicle burnt to ashes.
-On 25th January 2015, unknown gunmenkilled thirteen people on spot when they attacked the Raja County commissioner’s convoy. Among the dead were five journalists from the state government.
-On 10th February 2015, insecurity incident was reported in Bazia, in which two crop farmers were killed by cattle keepers
-It is anticipated that security may change negatively along Wau-Raja road should the current situation continue. Increasing insecurity is likely to further disrupt trade flows between Wau and Raja and is likely to result in increased food prices in Raja County.
Action Point: The Ministry of Agriculture to liaise with the Police and other security bodies in yhe State with a view to increasing patrols and operations in the affected roads.
Population movement: The International Organization for Migration (IOM), Wau field office reported the presence of 67 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and/ or returnees in the way station at Alel-chok
Rains, vegetation, pasture and Livestock Conditions:
- Itis most likely that there will be no rain until in early to mid-April when the next onset of rains is expected
- Vegetation condition is still good but pasture quality is gradually dropping.
- Both pasture and water for livestock will continue to deteriorate until in April when pasture regeneration is expected
- The livestock body condition is fairly dropping; cattle, goats and sheep PET score of 2 - 3.
- There are no reports of livestock disease incidences in the month of January 2015
- The livestock vaccination campaigns against Black Quarter (BQ), Pleuropneumonia (PPR) and Hemorrhagic Sceptemia (HS) that stared late Novermebr 2014 was completed on 17th January 2015;
- Cattle movement from Warrap state into Western Bahr el Ghazal state is reported. Increased resource and conflict between livestock keepers and farmers is expected as feed resources becomes scarce
- Fishing and fish production intensified in Decemberand January and peaked in February.
- Irrigated vegetable farming is going on along the streams and other water points as usual.
- Late maturing sorghum and cassava were harvested in Jan-Feb in some parts of the state.
- Waumarket is currently well supplied with vegetables and fruits, livestock products and imported fruits
- Many households currently have stored enough food stock from own produce
- Because of sufficient harvests from own farms especially in Raja County, market prices have dropped significantly thus, improved access to food stock by many poor households in the state except in some cases more especially in the remote parts of Jur River and Raja counties where crop performance was badly affected by intermittent rain patterns, poor management practices, pests and diseases
a)Exchange rates
WBeGS Local market exchange rates
January 2015 / December 2014 / January 2014
USD / SSP / USD / SSP / USD / SSP
1.00 / 6.0 / 1.00 / 5.6 / 1.00 / 4.6
b)Staple food (sorghum, maize, cowpeas, millet, cassava, g-nut, sesame, okra) prices: current month, last month, same month last year
Staple food / Market prices-SSP (average in kilograms)
January 2015 / December 2014 / January 2014
Sorghum grain / 4 SSP/kg / 4 SSP/kg / 4SSP/kg
Maize-grains / 3 SSP/kg / 4 SSP/kg / 3SSP/kg
Cowpeas / 2 SSP/kg / 6 SSP/kg / 8SSP/kg
Millet / 11 SSP/kg / 11 SSP/kg / 8SSP/kg
Dried Cassava not ground / 3 SSP/kg / N.A. SSP/kg / 11SSP/kg
Cassava-flour / N.A / 4 SSP/kg / N.A
G-nut (shelled) / 9 SSP/kg / 6 SSP/kg / 7SSP/kg
Sesame / 10 SSP/kg / 6 SSP/kg / 8SSP/kg
Okra-fresh / N.A SSP/kg / N.A. SSP/kg / -
Okra-dried / 32 SSP/kg / 9 SSP/kg / 20SSP/kg
c)Imported commodities
Commodity / Unit / Market prices (SSP/Kg)
January 2015 / December 2014 / January
2014
Wheat flour / Kg / 8 SSP/kg / 8 SSP/kg / 7SSP/kg
Sugar / Kg / 8 SSP/kg/kg / 7SSP/kg / 8SSP/kg
Onions / Kg / N.A. SSP / N.A. SSP / 14SSP/kg
Rice / Kg / 10 SSP/kg / 10 SSP/kg / 10SSP/kg
Maize flour / Kg / 3 SSP/kh / 3 SSP/kg / 3SSP/kg
Irish potatoes / Kg / 14 SSP/kg / 14 SSP/kg / 14SSP/kg
Lentils / Kg / 21 SSP/kg / N.A. SSP/kg / 11SSP/kg
Beans (broad beans) / Kg / 18 SSP / 10 SSP/kg / 10SSP/kg
Petrol / Liters / 10 SSP / 14 SSP/ltr / 8SSP/ltr
Diesel / Liters / 10 SSP / 10 SSP/ltr / 8SSP/ltr
Diesel / Liters / 9SSP / 8SSP/ltr / 14SSP/ltr
d)Livestock prices
Livestock Type / Market prices
January 2015 / December 2014 / January
2014
Bull (Medium size) / 1,525 SSP/head / SSP/head / SSP/head
Goat (Adult male medium size) / 219 SSP/head / N.A. SSP/head / SSP
Goat (Adult female medium size) / 201 SSP/head / N.A. SSP/head / SSP
Chicken (Cock) / 34 SSP/head / N.A. SSP/head / SSP
Cattle-Milking cow / 1,175 SSP/head / SSP/head / 975 SSP
Cattle-Heifer / 875 SSP/head / SSP/head / 924 SSP
Fish- fresh / 26 SSP/kg / 63 SSP/kg / 32 SSP
Fish-dried / 48 SSP/kg / 37 SSP/kg / 22 SSP
Beef meat / 30 SSP/kg / 30 SSP/kg
Goat meat / 40 SSP/kg / SSP/kg
Hides & Skin / 25 SSP/kg / SSP/kg
Eggs / 1.5 SSP/pc / SSP/pc
Other updates from FAO included:
-WFP food is being sold in the market at a lower rate compared to the important commodities
-On 3rd January 2015, Humanitarian agencies including NGOs and UN agencies met to discuss the Western Bahr el Ghazal state contingency plan for January to June 2015.
Acton point:agencies to finalize the state level Contingency plan for FSL Cluster and report in the next humanitarian coordination meeting.
-The Zonal Effort for Agricultural Transformation and Bahr el Ghazal Effort for Agricultural Development (ZEAT-BEAD) project team was in Wau in the 2nd week of February for project inception mission. ZEAT-BEAD will work closely with the state ministry of agriculture, animal resources and fisheries and cooperatives department.
WFP
WFP representative in the meeting highlighted on the following activities in the State:
-Emergency Response operations being done through partners
-School based line survey to be conduction to select eligible schools for school feeding programmes. This is besides the GI for the 4 schools in Wau Municipality
-Fumigation of warehouses is ongoing
-Sensitization and mobilization of communities to create their own assets like school feeder roads to be done as part of FFA Programme
HARD:
Key achievementsto date.
5270 farmers mobilised into farmer groups to ease delivery of extension services
Seeds and tools distributed: 650 ox-ploughs; 4,800 local/ imported hoes;2,400 axes; 12MT sorghum; 10 MT ground nuts; 7.58 MT maize seeds; 7 MT sim-sim seeds Household Baseline Survey
Construction of shelters in 8 markets
Opening of Acumcum-Nyinakok feeder road ongoing
Digging of shallow wells and water pans on-going in selected villages
Total number of project beneficiaries stands at 2,588 males and 2,681 females
Selection of Community Own Resource Persons (CORPs)/Local Extension Workers
Challenges/ constraints
Reluctance of some community members to participate in cash for work activities, specifically opening of rural markets access roads
High community expectations beyond the project scope/capacity
Inadequate number of extension workers
PEACE CORPS ORGANIZATION
The organization briefed the meeting on the following on-going projects;
- Activities based in Wau and Jur River Counties
(ii)Supporting progressive cereals seed growers by providing assorted cereal seeds, ox ploughs and training on Good Agronomic Practices.
(iii)Training of community animal health workers on common prevailing animal diseases and management practices.
- Activities based in Jur River County only
(ii)Supporting 15 VSLA groups with trainings, saving boxes and office stationeries.
(iii)Supporting 10 IGAs with trainings, start-ups materials e.g bee hives.
Agenda item 4: AOB
It was reported that 39 bags of seed kits that were to be distributed by Peace Corps could not be accounted for. However, it was later discovered that the same had been distributed to beneficiaries, as confirmed by FAO field monitors.
As usual, the nextFSL cluster meeting will be held on the second week of April, on a date to be confirmed by the DG and the FSL Cluster Coordinator.
Attendance Registration form. Date 18th November 2014
S/N / Name / Organization / Title/Position / e-mail address / Telephone No.1 / Ben Lopidia / Oxfam / Programme Manager / / 926658494
2 / Justin Bazia / FAO / Animal Traction Trainer / / 922001673
3 / Kamilo Gabriel / FAO / Fisheries Assistant / / 922001657
4 / Karlo Kamilo / Ministry of Agriculture / Director General and Chair / 914058977
5 / MattaGiovannini / Malteser International / Agriculture Advisor / / 928042673
6 / NaftaleDwamu / Oxfam / Food Security Officer / / 914328702
7 / Paul Barnabas / Ministry of Agriculture / Market Analyst / 924160714
8 / Michael Gabri / Halimares / Director / 956128848
9 / Charles Albino / SMOA, GAA / Director, Agriculture / 915187921
10 / Nelson / UNMISS / RRP / / 955889559
11 / Marko Madut / FACDDO / Executive Director / / 912636002
12 / Paulino Emilio / MAF-WA / Fisheries Officer / / 954268385
13 / Paul Angelo / MAARF / Vet Officer / / 955507755
14 / YohanaBenjarem / SSRADIO / MEDia/ Journalist / 955908042
15 / Karlo Nuri / WFP / VAM / / 911427063
16 / Albino Silo / FAO / Field Monitor / / 912194799
17 / Edward Lino / HARD / Project Manager / / 956469152
18 / Omac James / FAO / Field Monitor / / 927548822
19 / Susan Kibia / FAO / Team Leader/ ZEAT BEAT / / 922001619
20 / AgotStephene / PCO / Project Manager / / 925098048
21 / Paul Andrea / DAR/F / Marketing Information / / 911285718
22 / Sehit Ibrahim / MAF / D/Director, Extension / 927313623
23 / Makur James / FAO / Agriculture State Coordinator / / 922001672