Ruben Mariel Benjamin, South Sudan's ambassador to Israel
Israeli architectural firm helps advance South Sudan’s agricultural sector
Five new dairy farms in South Sudan will be created with the help of one of Israel’s architectural firms, AlefBet Planners.
Five new dairy farms in South Sudan will be created with the help of one of Israel’s architectural firms, AlefBet Planners. These new farms will provide a much needed boost to the country’s agricultural sector.
As an architectural firm that was founded approximately 70 years ago and that served many of the kibbutz communities in Israel, AlefBet Planners offers agricultural planning expertise and know-how.
South Sudan's Ambassador to Israel Ruben Mariel Benjamin (Photo: Hillel Maier/TPS)
“We started designing this five-dairy-farm project with 2000 cows per farm,” AlefBet Planners Business Development Manager Daphna Regev told Tazpit Press Service (TPS).
“We have designed most of the dairy farms in Israel so we have a vast amount of experience,” noted Regev to TPS. “We’ve designed dairy farms and other similar projects worldwide for many years so we implement all our know-how by designing facilities abroad with an emphasis on Africa.”
“We design the village itself, including the housing, the facilities for the inhabitants, and the agricultural projects, which could include fresh produce or the production of meat or dairy products,” Regev continued.
Israel’s positive relationship with South Sudan since South Sudan declared its independence in 2011 has been particularly significant and beneficial to AlefBet Planners. “This project of ours is very special because we have a good relationship with South Sudan,” Regev said.
In particular, Regev believes that Israel can help build an agricultural sector in South Sudan that was just about nonexistent in the country a few years ago.
“I met South Sudan’s minister of agriculture three years ago and she told me that there was no agricultural sector and that the situation is particularly bad,” she recounted to TPS.
Regev believes that her organization can use its vast experience working in Israel’s arid regions to help jumpstart South Sudan’s agricultural economy.
“What I think is noteworthy about our project is that we can help South Sudan’s agricultural sector face its harsh weather conditions,” Regev explained. “We have designed many farms in the desert in Israel and in other harsh environments and we know how to deal with such difficult climatic conditions.”
Regev also pointed out some recent positive trends in South Sudan’s agricultural sector that demonstrate potential for both South Sudanese and Israeli companies in the near future.
“Money has suddenly been flowing into South Sudan from the World Bank and other international funds,” she told TPS. “We also see that there are quite a few other projects like ours in South Sudan and people are talking more about implementing more projects there.”
Regev remains very hopeful and optimistic regarding the prospects for both South Sudan and Israel.
“I feel that there has been a change in South Sudan and I’m sure that the market there for Israeli companies will be very good over the next few years, not only in the agricultural sector but in the infrastructure and water sectors as well,” she projected.
