BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Farmers have a huge role to play in helping Eswatini achieve food sovereignty.
This was said by Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka yesterday (Thursday, October 31, 2024). This was during the commemoration of the World Food Day, an event that was held at Mhlangatane Constituency in the Hhohho Region.
According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry joined partners and farmers to observe World Food Day, a global occasion to reflect on progress towards food and nutrition security. This year’s theme, ‘Right to Food for a Better Life and a Better Future – Leave No One Behind,’ aligns with the Ministry’s mission to achieve food sovereignty for Eswatini, ensuring that no citizen goes to bed hungry.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka encouraged farmers to improve food production, emphasising the Ministry’s efforts to build resilience against climate change and secure diverse funding to transform agri-food systems. “We are committed to equipping our farmers with the tools and resources to combat climate challenges and secure food sovereignty,” he stated.
He also encouraged young people to see agriculture as a viable career path, urging them to make a conscious choice to pursue farming. As part of the day’s activities, the Minister and his delegation had the pleasure of visiting three local farmers, witnessing firsthand the dedication and impressive work they’re doing to strengthen our food sovereignty.
During the events, the attendants also celebrated the anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The minister mentioned that Eswatini appreciated the FAO’s impactful support. In that spirit, FAO presented special gifts to farmers to boost their agricultural production. According to FAO’s website, on October 16, 1945, 42 countries acted in Quebec, Canada, to create FAO — the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In doing so, they took another important step forward in man’s perpetual struggle against hunger and malnutrition.
The FAO was celebrated at a time when it expressed its desire to set up an office in Eswatini. On Sunday, (October 27, 2024) at Ludzidzini Royal Residence during a media briefing on his three-week trip to three countries, including Italy, Serbia, and Samoa. His Majesty King Mswati III ordered that land be allocated for FAO because the organisation had expressed interest in having an office in Eswatini.
The minister urged farmers to improve food security at a time when his ministry is left with only two years to ensure that the country achieves food sovereignty. Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini told Members of Parliament (MPs) that the Ministry of Agriculture had given itself two years to make that achievement. However, the premier mentioned that such a target could be met when the Ministry was given the support it would need. The prime minister made this statement in the House of Assembly during the debate of the 2023 to 2028 Government Policy Statement on October 17, 2024.
