Agricultural Potential, Rural Roads, and Farm Competitiveness in South Sudan

The work described in this report is a
first step to addressing the longer-term issues related to
the competitiveness of South Sudan's farmers in a
regional context. It focuses on the options for increasing
the amount and value of agricultural production in the crop
sector, the potential contribution of rural roads to
increasing crop production and how to sequence and
prioritize rural road investments in a way that maximizes
their contribution to realization of the country's full
agricultural potential, especially in light of the competing
needs for resources, the very high construction and
maintenance costs of rural roads, and the low capacity of
the local construction industry. The report also explores
possible ways of increasing the cost competitiveness of
agriculture in South Sudan vis-a-vis its neighbors (Uganda
and Sudan). The core sections of the report include: i) an
assessment of the potential for expanding cropland to
increase agricultural production; ii) assessment of the
contribution and role of improved rural roads and enhanced
access to markets in creating incentives for future
expansion of cultivated land in areas with high agricultural
potential; iii) an estimation of budget requirements for
road investments in areas with high agricultural potential;
and iv) an analysis of the implications of better road
infrastructure for agricultural competitiveness, including
an assessment of farm price and cost competitiveness
vis-a-vis Uganda and Sudan, to highlight areas where costs
can be reduced to enable South Sudan to compete with food
imports, even if local marketing and logistics costs decline
in the future.