South Sudan has been facing severe food deficits mainly due to a decrease in local food production, resulting in poor food stocks and high staple food prices. Latest crop monitoring assessments show that in 2017 farmers had the smallest output of cereals since the start of the 2013 crisis, leaving a deficit of 482 000 tonnes. As of June 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its partners finalized efforts to provide farmers hardest hit by hunger with seeds and tools during the main planting season. FAO supplies quality seeds through direct distribution or seed fairs – temporary markets where families receive cash vouchers to purchase seeds. Seed fairs are prioritized over a direct distribution, where families choose their seeds and supplies come from local seed producers. This year 911 tonnes of seeds were distributed through seed fairs to about 62 000 families, and another 3 619 tonnes to about 250 000 families through direct distribution.