The importance with which government views this sector is evinced by its status as one of the five pillars of the kingdom’s National Development Plan (NDP) to 2022 and accompanying Strategic Roadmap. Subtitled ‘Towards Economic Recovery’, the two-pronged initiative is said to be the culmination of extensive research and consultations on feasible quick-wins combined with long-term goals, the latter directed by the King’s pronouncement which is known as Vision 2022. Much now hinges upon “the new range of measures that have the most potential to kick-start the journey to economic revival and inclusive, sustainable growth, along with creating a conducive environment for a vibrant private sector that is export-oriented and employment-creating”.
As regards agriculture, the NDP lists as sectoral Key Achievements, Strengths and Opportunities:
- Sugarcane: The sugar industry continues to be a key contributor to agricultural output and the economy at large through its backward and forward linkages to other sectors. A total of 9 000 new ha of irrigated land has been developed and put under sugarcane production.
- Maize: An input-subsidy programme was introduced in 2015 with the aim of improving the competitiveness of agriculture production. With the exception of the drought years, maize production has increased to almost 100 000 tonnes per annum. Nevertheless, this does not yet meet domestic consumption requirements, and a study has not yet been done to assess the impact of the subsidy.
- High-Value Crops: A number of new, high-value-added crops are being explored, including horticulture, vegetables, cotton variants and new fruits. Some of these are already experiencing success in trials and in informal markets. The regulatory framework is being developed for these, and support to meet export standards is being put in place.
- Livestock: Pig, poultry and dairy livestock are all undergoing positive developments, with increased pig-breeding capacity, broiler and table-eggs successfully exported to the regional market, and large investments underway in the dairy industry.
- Irrigation Projects: Government has invested heavily in irrigation in the form of small earth-dams as well as large dams for agricultural irrigation smallholder schemes. Projects such as LUSIP I and II are enhancing the irrigation coverage in Eswatini and increasing the country’s resilience to drought.
