Mbabane – The Woman Farmer Foundation has opened entries for the 2026 Woman Farmer of the Year Competition, introducing changes to eligibility aimed at supporting emerging women farmers.
Speaking on behalf of the organisation, Sebenele Zwane said the competition is open to women and female youth farmers farming on Swazi Nation Land who have been in the business for at least one year.
Zwane said the main change this year is that women farmers cultivating more than 10 hectares will no longer be eligible.
“In previous years the competition was open to all women farmers on Swazi Nation Land. This year we have introduced a limit of 10 hectares to ensure fair competition and support smaller scale farmers,” she said.
The competition is divided into two categories, youth farmers aged 18 to 35 and farmers aged 36 and above.
Zwane said the foundation is also finalising assessment criteria for sugarcane farmers to ensure fair judging. Sugarcane farmers cannot enter this year because the committee is still working on the framework.
Eligible applicants can submit their entries online through the Women Farmer Foundation website.
Discussion about this post