DAIRY IMPORTS SURGE BY 10.37% IN OCT-NOV

MBABANE – Eswatini’s dairy imports for October and November 2024 recorded a 10.37 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
The total imports rose from 6 394 673.14 kg/l in 2023 to 7 057 983.20 kg/l in 2024, reflecting the growing demand for dairy products. UHT milk maintained its position as the most imported product, while margarine and yoghurt experienced notable surges. The Kingdom of Eswatini witnessed a significant growth in dairy imports during October and November 2024. The overall volume reached over 7 million kg/l, compared to just under 6.4 million kg/l in the same period the previous year. UHT milk topped the charts with imports totalling 3 318 843 kg/l, marking a modest 4.04 per cent increase.

Product Highlights

•  Margarine: Imports surged by 24.89 per cent, with a total of 1 207 273 kg/l imported in 2024, up from 966 694 kg/l in 2023.

•  Yoghurt: A remarkable 61.6 per cent increase was recorded, with imports rising from 618 577 kg/l in 2023 to 999 608 kg/l in 2024.

•  Creamers: Demand for creamers skyrocketed, showing a 210.33 per cent growth.

•  Milk Substitutes: This category saw a substantial 1.510 per cent increase, reflecting a shift in consumer preferences.

While key products saw impressive gains, others like fresh milk and pasteurised milk experienced declines of 66.48 per cent and 58.52 per cent, respectively.
The rise in dairy imports highlights a growing reliance on external markets to meet domestic demand. The sharp increases in products like margarine and yoghurt suggest changing dietary trends and preferences in Eswatini. It is worth noting that last year, the Kingdom of Eswatini faced a shortage of dairy products, particularly Umcenge Milk. The decline was mostly attributed to the outbreak of FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease) in Eastern Cape, South Africa which is one of the major suppliers of dairy products to the country.

Affected

Most dairy products sourced from that area were affected as a result. On May 9, 2024, the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform confirmed cases of FMD in one of the farms in the province. A case of FMD was confirmed in a dairy herd located at Humansdorp in the Kouga after the National Veterinary Reference laboratory conducted epidemiological investigations. The situation caused a decline in imports stats for January to August. However, from October last year, the situation improved as the country saw the milk products back on the shelves, hence the increase in the overall dairy product imports. In a previous interview, Bandile Mdluli, the Eswatini Dairy Board (EDB) Dairy Development Manager shared that the country currently produces most of the fresh dairy products consumed locally (such as emasi (sour milk), fresh milk, yoghurt, fresh cream, dairy juices and ice cream among others) while importing the other products from neighbouring countries.

He said therefore, that the Board has since invested in increasing the capacity and number of local dairy processing plants to improve the range of products produced locally to also include imported products. Engagements with potential operators of these plants are still ongoing. He added that currently, the country has about 5 300 milking dairy animals which supply the local market, yet to facilitate the full-scale operation of all the local dairy processing plants and to meet the local milk demand, the country requires at least 15 000 productive dairy animals. The country is only able to produce 20 million litres of milk annually, while the total required milk is 80 million litres. This means that the country is producing only a quarter of its required milk and this is totally disagreeable  for the country, leading to the continued over-reliance on imports. As of January 2025, the supply of Umcenge Milk in Eswatini has improved following previous shortages caused by FMD outbreaks in SA. In October 2024, the Department of Agriculture announced that the FMD outbreaks in the North West, Free State, Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces had been successfully resolved, with comprehensive testing indicating the virus was no longer present.

Outbreaks

However, the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces continue to experience FMD outbreaks, though no new signs of the disease have been reported in these areas over the past month. The resolution of FMD in key South African provinces has facilitated the resumption of dairy imports, contributing to the stabilisation of Umcenge Milk availability in Eswatini. Nonetheless, ongoing outbreaks in other regions necessitate continued vigilance to prevent future disruptions. With imports on the rise, stakeholders are encouraged to explore opportunities for local dairy production to reduce dependency on imports and strengthen the local economy. The government and private sector can collaborate to boost the dairy industry and ensure sustainable growth.

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