ESWATINI FAILING TO MEET AGRIC EXPORT DEMANDS

MBABANE - Eswatini is currently failing to meet both local and external market demands for vegetables, due to limited production in the country.

The Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Project (MNWAP) could be the solution to the country meeting vegetable commodity market demands. The World Food Programme (WFP) requested Eswatini farmers to supply 53 000 tonnes of sugar beans to the international market and the local market supplied 10 000 tonnes. This then forced WFP to procure the remaining 43 000 tonnes from outside country. The National Maize Corporation (NMC) does not have adequate supply of maize which has led to silos being dry and millers failing to supply local markets.

Outsource

This further forcers millers to outsource maize from South Africa at a levy a charge of E1000 per metric tonne, forcing them to hike the buying price. The challenge cited by millers was that maize production has decreased due to poor irrigation and profits. The sugar industry is also facing the same predicament, as it was reported by the Business Desk in November that cane growers were failing to meet market demands, challenges cited included scarcity of farming inputs and irrigation. Access to water increases the productivity of fields and farms, thus making the outcome of the produce greater.The Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (ESWADE) E3.4 billion project will improve over 100 fields and farms irrigation systems.

According to the project’s scope, ESWADE will improve the distribution system to supply water at St Philips, Mconcwane/Mcathuvane, Maloma and Sigwe irrigation areas, which is about 10 000ha. The fields and farms will have adequate water supply and this will help them increase productivity.
ESWADE expert Engineer Enock Dlamini said the project will improve the irrigation system of 138 farms situated in the Shiselweni Region.
He said government proposed a holistic development vision for MNWAP, to maximise the value that could be attained. “During the 2014 2016 drought, the Government of Eswatini highlighted the importance of investing in bulk water, as part of the mitigating measures against future expected drought occurrences with climate change”, he said.

Transfer

Dlamini said ESWADE was then tasked to look at ways to transfer water from the Mkhondvo River to augment the limited flows of the Ngwavuma River, which is relatively dry and non-perennial. He added that they then commissioned a consulting firm to undertake feasibility studies and detailed designs of the Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Project. The engineer further mentioned that the government aimed to develop an integrated development master plan covering all sectors of the economy to realise the holistic development vision.

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