Growing More Than Maize: A Farmer’s Journey Towards a Better Life

The story of Charles Simon Yamba – Yabongo – Yambio County

By Alan Clement

For Charles Simon Yamba, farming has become more than a way of producing food. It has opened opportunities that were once difficult to imagine: owning a bicycle, supporting his children’s education and looking forward to a future in which he can afford a motorbike.

There was a time when Charles had no means of transport and depended on walking wherever he needed to go. Today, he owns a bicycle purchased with money earned from selling maize. Some of his children have also progressed to secondary school.

Behind these changes is a farming journey that he associates with access to quality seeds, improved harvests and a market for his produce through PRO Seed Ltd.

For Charles, the difference is not measured only in the maize harvested, but also in what the income from farming has enabled him to do for his family.

From quality seeds to improved harvests

Charles describes the support he received from PRO Seed as an important turning point in his farming experience.

It is the completeness of that chain that matters to him: good seed, a better harvest, and — crucially — a buyer who actually turned up to purchase the crop. For a smallholder, the last link is often the one that breaks.

“The company called PRO Seed came to help me and my family. They gave me quality seeds. When I planted, I got a higher yield, an improved yield. I sold that maize because they came and bought it from us,” he explains.

The opportunity to sell his maize was particularly important. Beyond improving production, having a buyer for his harvest allowed him to turn his farming efforts into income.

For smallholder farmers, access to productive inputs and dependable markets can make a significant difference. A good harvest creates an opportunity, but being able to sell that harvest is what allows farmers to earn from their investment.

Charles says the income he received from selling his maize helped him meet important household needs.

A bicycle, school fees and new opportunities

Before earning money from maize sales, Charles says he had no means of transport and relied on walking.

“The money I got helped me. Before, I used to trek because I did not have a means of transport. Then I bought my bicycle. Most of my children were at home, but I started paying their school fees, and some have even reached secondary school now,” he says.

For Charles, buying a bicycle was more than acquiring a means of transport. It was a visible sign that his efforts in farming were beginning to translate into improvements in his daily life.

More importantly, the income enabled him to support his children’s education. Seeing some of them progress to secondary school is an achievement he connects to the opportunities created through farming.

His experience illustrates how agricultural income can extend beyond the farm, helping households address practical needs and invest in their children’s future.

More than a harvest: Building trust through the market

Charles is also keen to emphasise the importance of having a buyer for his produce.

He says that PRO Seed not only provided quality seeds but also came to purchase the maize he harvested. This experience has strengthened his confidence in working with the company.

Asked what he would tell farmers who are still uncertain about partnering with PRO Seed, Charles responds with conviction.

“My appeal to farmers who are doubting working with PRO Seed is that I am not lying to them. I am telling them the truth,” he says.

He explains that his confidence comes from what he has personally experienced.

“PRO Seed are people who do not tell lies. If they say they are distributing quality seeds, they will also distribute the same quality seeds. If they tell you they are coming to buy, they are not lying; they will come and buy.”

He encourages other farmers to consider working with the company, drawing on his own experience as an example.

“I am appealing to those who are doubting: let us join hands with PRO Seed and kick poverty out of our community. Because it has helped me. I am an example of those who have benefited and who know the importance of working with PRO Seed,” he says.

For Charles, the relationship between a farmer and a buyer is important. It gives farmers confidence that the crops they work hard to produce can find a market.

Looking ahead with renewed hope

Despite the progress he has already made, Charles is not content to stop here. He is particularly encouraged by the condition of his maize crop this season. He says the plants are growing well, giving him hope of achieving an even better harvest than in previous years.

“If you go to my farm and see how my maize is growing, very healthy, I am very happy,” he says.

He is optimistic about what the season could bring.

“I have the hope that I am going to get more yield this year compared to the previous years. The way I am seeing my maize, I have a dream that this year I will get more yield,” he explains.

His expectations are accompanied by another personal ambition: purchasing a motorbike.

“I even have a dream of purchasing my motorbike, since I already bought a bicycle in the past,” he adds.

It is a goal that reflects how his aspirations have grown alongside his farming experience. Having achieved something, he once could only hope for, he is now looking towards the next opportunity.

Growing more than maize

Charles Simon Yamba’s journey demonstrates that the value of farming can be seen in much more than the quantity of crops harvested.

For his family, the benefits he describes include improved household income, a bicycle, support for his children’s education and renewed confidence in the future.

His story also highlights the importance of connecting farmers to quality agricultural inputs and markets where they can sell their produce.

As he looks forward to another harvest, Charles is hopeful that his maize will continue to open doors for his family. His dream of owning a motorbike may still lie ahead, but the bicycle he has already purchased stands as a reminder of how far he believes farming has brought him.

He is growing maize, but, in his own way, he is also growing opportunities for his family.

Charles Simon Yamba’s story is not built on a single dramatic moment. It is built on a sequence that held together: quality seed that produced a better harvest, a buyer who came as promised, and income that turned into a bicycle, school fees, and now a dream one step further on.

That, in the end, is the quiet argument he is making to his fellow farmers. Not a slogan, but a life — one that moved, in a few seasons, from walking everywhere to riding, and from uncertainty to a plan for the year ahead.

If you ate today, thank a farmer. Charles would add: and if you are still doubting, come and see his maize.

Alan Clement is Communications Officer at PRO Seed Ltd. This article is part of the Farmers’ Voice series, which profiles farmers, shares their experiences and highlights their contributions to South Sudan’s agricultural development.

PRO Seed Ltd. – Growing Opportunities. Feeding the Nation.