Manzini- Eswatini is positioning its goat’s sector as a commercially viable agribusiness industry following the launch of a five-year, with a E51.5 million aimed at increasing local meat production, improving genetics, and reducing reliance on imports.
The Goat Industry Enhancement Project, launched on Thursday in Manzini, is expected to reshape goat farming from a predominantly susbsistence activity into a structured commercial value chain capable of supplying formal markets, retailers, restaurants and institutional buyers.
Backed by the Republic of China (Taiwan) through the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), the project will run from 2026 to 2030 under the Ministry of Agriculture. The European Union will support infrastructure development, including equipment for a proposed Goat Artificial Insemination Centre.
Speaking during the launch, Agriculture Minister Mandla Tshawuka described the initiative as both an agricultural and economic intervention designed to unlock business opportunities for rural farmers while addressing the country’s growing goat meat deficit.
“The Republic of China (Taiwan) has provided both technical and financial support amounting to E51.5 million towards the Goat Project,” he noted.
The move comes as demand for goat meat continues to rise locally while supply remains constrained by low productivity and import limitation from South Africa.
Eswatini’s goat population is estimated at approximately 525, 000, making it one of the country’s most widely held livestock assets. However, most animals are raised under traditional system with limited commercial output.
Project Manager Thulasizwe Dlamini said the industry currently suffers from slow growth rates, weak genetics and low carcass weight, factors that have prevented farmers from fully participating in profitable meat markets.
“Goats currently take between 18 to 24 months to reach market size, with average carcass weights of only 12 to 16 kilogrammes,” he stated.
Under the project, the government plans to introduce commercially proven breeds such as Boer and Kalahari Red goats to improve meat yields and shorten production cycles. Boer goats are known for rapid growth and high meat output, while Kalahari Reds are valued for their drought tolerance and disease resistance.
A National Goat Breeding centre will be established at Mpisi Farm to anchor the country’s genetic improvement programme. The center will work alongside 20 core Deminstration Farms that will supply improved breeding stock to surrounding farmers.
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