Mbabane– Eswatini loses an estimated 30% of its agricultural produce after harvesting, prompting Government to explore ways of improving crop drying and storage to reduce losses suffered by farmers.
Ministry of Agriculture Principal Secretary Sydney Simelane said the ministry was devising ways of acquiring crop dryers to help farmers preserve their produce and avoid rejection at markets such as the National Maize Corporation (NMC).
Simelane was speaking during the Second African Vegetable Forum held at Hilton Garden Inn, Mbabane, on Wednesday.
He said post-harvest losses remained a challenge for both crop and vegetable farmers, with the ministry also engaging the National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard) to address difficulties experienced by vegetable producers.
Responding to a journalist question on what is the ministry doing to make sure that farmers do not loose, Simelane said they have proposed acquisition of crop dryers intended to help farmers manage their produce after harvesting, while Government is also working towards securing cold-chain facilities to extend the shelf life of vegetables.
“These interventions could help reduce the amount of produce lost before it reaches consumers, while improving farmers’ ability to supply the market,” Simelane noted.
Simelane also said Government had enlisted parastatals, including NMC, NAMBoard and the Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (EWADE), in efforts to reduce the country’s reliance on imported agricultural produce.
He said Eswatini was spending about E2 billion on imported fruits and vegetables, an amount the country could seek to reduce by strengthening local production and encouraging greater consumption of locally grown produce.
The initiative places renewed focus on the challenges facing local farmers, particularly the need to preserve their harvests and ensure that agricultural produce reaches markets in acceptable condition.
Beyond the economic implications, Simelane raised concerns about the nutritional value of food consumed by Emaswati, saying traditional vegetables needed to feature more prominently in people’s diets.
He linked inadequate vegetable consumption to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), stressing the importance of encouraging the nation to eat a balanced diet.
The forum, organised under the Taiwan–Africa Vegetable Initiative (TAVI), brought together stakeholders to discuss ways of strengthening vegetable production and promoting traditional African vegetables.
For Eswatini, reducing post-harvest losses while improving storage and market access could help farmers retain more of their harvest, increase the availability of locally produced vegetables and reduce dependence on imports.
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