In brief
Rainy season floods in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, have historically destroyed sorghum but new rice cultivation offers a resilient alternative. Over 2,100 households now grow rice on about 1,000 hectares, with training from the World Food Programme and Chinese partners. Challenges such as weeding, harvesting and limited machinery still constrain expansion.
A recent shift in Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal in South Sudan, has seen farmers turn seasonal floodwaters into productive rice fields, according to a feature published by Xinhua on 28 October 2026.
The area’s lowlands are routinely inundated each rainy season, shredding sorghum crops that most farmers rely on for food and income. With the fertile yet water‑logged soil, residents have sought a crop that thrives in flooded conditions.
"When flooding came, it affected sorghum, but the rice succeeded," Santino Akech, a 45‑year‑old farmer in Aweil, said during a recent interview.
Haileselassie Berhanu, head of the World Food Programme Aweil field office, explained that the agency had begun exploring rice cultivation in water‑logged areas several years ago. "We have tried to consider the flood as a potential opportunity, not as a threat," Berhanu said.
Rice Farming Initiative and Statistics
The program now supports more than 2,100 households, with roughly 1,000 hectares under rice cultivation across the wider initiative, according to Berhanu. Farmers who once grew individually have joined group farms, pooling resources and receiving training in rice‑growing techniques from local partners.
Akech recalled the 2025 harvest when his community produced 42 bags of rice, each weighing 90 kilograms, from about 1.68 hectares of land. He also highlighted the challenges that still persist, noting that weeding and harvesting remain major work‑intensive tasks.
Mutinta Chimuka, World Food Programme country representative for South Sudan, visited Aweil in the past month. "The crop observed as promising, saying the location had retained water despite a dry spell that had affected agricultural production elsewhere," she said. "The crop was flowering and expected to be ready for harvesting soon," Chimuka added.
Chimuka also emphasized the need for closer cooperation with state and national authorities to identify the most suitable locations for rice cultivation and varieties suited to local conditions. She noted that farmers still need machinery to prepare water‑logged land, more training in improved cultivation methods, and access to rice varieties that endure the region’s specific climate.
While the initiative’s early results are encouraging, the limited availability of mechanised equipment and specialised rice varieties still hamper wider adoption. Yet for communities in Aweil, rice in floodwater offers a promising alternative that could strengthen food security in the face of unpredictable seasonal floods.
