The Otuho community in South Sudan’s Torit State has been advised to fight hunger through early cultivation.

David Oyalala, the king of Mayya kingdom, made these remarks while speaking during a traditional gathering popularly known as the Allam festival in Torit town Sunday.

Mayya is the largest kingdom among the Otohu community.

“We don’t want hunger anymore. What we shared today with Monyomiji (the ruling generation) is that they should cultivate early as the first rains begin. People have to immediately go for cultivation so that on one comes and complains that there was no rain,” he told Radio Tamazuj.

Jacqueline Imene Brown, a participant, urged the king to cooperate with landlords and the ruling generation to cleanse the land.

She said abundant rains will fall should the king works with landlords.

“What we need this year is to cultivate.  Rains should come so that we get food. We want to succeed in everything we cultivate and that is why we are talking to our king. We want him to put his heart together with landlords so that we have rains,” stressed Imene.

Stephen Oburak, a member of the Anglis ruling generation in Torit urged landlords to perform rituals to combat crop pests.

He appealed to the youth to help fight hunger through cultivation.

“We have to, as youth, prepare our gardens and work very hard so that we celebrate the next Allam in a better way,” said Oburak.

The Allam festival, held annually, marks a new beginning where challenges facing the Otuho community are discussed and solutions devised.