MBABANE – The Ministry of Agriculture and Standard Bank Eswatini have entered into an E180 million financed partnership to roll out 250 tractors nationwide over the next five years, a programme aimed at expanding access to mechanisation, improving agricultural productivity and strengthening national food security.
The initiative was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Agriculture and Standard Bank Eswatini.
Signing on behalf of the ministry was the Principal Secretary (PS), Sydney Simelane, while Standard Bank Eswatini Chief Executive (CE) Mvuselelo Fakudze appended his signature, marking policy commitments boost with an on-the-ground financial solution.
Standard Bank Eswatini CE, Fakudze, said the involvement of a commercial bank required a carefully structured and sustainable model. He said the partnership balanced the need to protect depositors’ funds with the imperative of supporting a national development priority, adding that long-term success would depend on responsible use of the equipment and timely repayment.
PS Simelane said the ministry viewed mechanisation as a critical input alongside land, climate and quality inputs. He said the programme complemented the government’s efforts to recapitalise the Tractor Hire Mechanisation Programme, which has struggled to keep pace with growing demand.
Under the programme, 250 mechanisation packages will be rolled out at a rate of 50 tractors per year. Ten of these will be allocated annually to the National Maize Corporation (NMC), while 40 will be made available to private tractor owners to expand mechanisation services to farmers. The first batch of 50 tractors has already arrived in the country, signalling the start of implementation.
The Eswatini Agricultural Development Fund and NMC, in partnership with the American Embassy and global agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere will implement the programme.
It would strengthen the NMC’s replacement programme while deliberately creating space for increased private sector participation in mechanisation services, Simelane said. He added that beneficiaries would be contracted to the NMC to ensure structured production and secure market access.
Beyond financing, the programme includes technical support, with servicing and maintenance to be provided by Swazi Trac, the local John Deere dealership.
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