Manzini – Dairy farmers have been challenged to look beyond production and focus on quality, packaging and market demand if they want their products to compete successfully.
The call was made by Eswatini National Agricultural Union (ESNAU) Chief Executive Officer Tammy Dlamini during the certification of more than 200 farmers who completed dairy processing training.
Dlamini said having the technical skills to process dairy products was only one part of building a successful enterprise, with farmers also needing to understand what consumers want and how products should be presented in the market.
He encouraged the graduates to follow the required processes and ensure their products meet the necessary standards before taking them to market.
Dlamini said farmers should also pay attention to packaging and how their products are presented on retail shelves, as this could influence consumers’ purchasing decisions.
“Retail itself is a science,” he said.
He further encouraged graduates who intend to grow their businesses to engage with their mentors and implementing partners to identify areas where they may require additional support.
European Union Ambassador Karsten Mecklenburg said the training should help farmers move from producing commodities to creating greater value from agricultural products.
He said value addition could create opportunities for farmers, processors, entrepreneurs, retailers, transporters and other service providers, while contributing to income generation and employment.
“A certificate is more than a piece of paper. It represents time invested, knowledge acquired, practical skills developed, and, most importantly, a new opportunity to create value,” Mecklenburg said.
The Ambassador challenged the graduates to put their newly acquired skills into practice rather than allowing them to remain on their certificates.
He said the success of the training would ultimately depend on whether beneficiaries used the skills to establish or improve businesses, introduce new products, improve product quality and safety, create employment and build stronger supply chains with local farmers.
Mecklenburg also stressed the importance of food safety and quality as Eswatini seeks to expand domestic production and access regional and international markets.
He said consumers needed to trust the products they buy, while businesses needed to consistently meet the standards required by their target markets.
The European Union funded the participation of 50 Emaswati under the programme, which was implemented in collaboration with Government, the International Trade Centre and the Eswatini Dairy Board.
Mecklenburg said the partnership had translated into practical skills, knowledge and increased productive capacity for the beneficiaries.
He encouraged the graduates to make use of mentorship and seek access to finance, equipment, markets, business development services, certification, branding and other support needed to turn their training into sustainable enterprises.
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