Mbabane – The government has set aside E59.2 million to fund the 2025/26 input subsidy programme, aimed at assisting over 8,000 vulnerable farmers across Eswatini.
Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka announced yesterday that the initiative will continue to provide affordable access to essential inputs and tractor services, reinforcing government’s commitment to strengthening national food security.
Payments for the subsidy will open on Monday and close on September 30, with farmers able to use EswatiniBank, MTN MoMo, and Eswatini Mobile’s e-Mali platforms, as in previous years.
Tshawuka expressed gratitude to farmers for actively participating in the subsidy and tractor hire programmes administered by the National Maize Corporation (NMC). He emphasized that the programme remains a key pillar of food security, ensuring that every Liswati has access to staple crops such as maize, beans, and sorghum.
“By making agricultural inputs and tractor services more affordable, the programme strengthens household resilience, particularly among vulnerable communities,” he said.
The minister noted that despite last season’s challenges including an intense November heatwave, hailstorms, and a shortage of seed during planting the subsidy programme was vital in preventing food insecurity.
He reminded the nation that during the 2024/25 season, the cost of maize inputs per hectare stood at E11,400, with the government covering 50 percent (E5,700) and farmers paying the remaining E5,700. The same arrangement applied to beans and sorghum, which cost E9,200 and E6,000 respectively.
“The government shouldered half of these costs to ease the burden on farmers,” Tshawuka said.
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