BY LINDELWA MYENI
MBABANE— Farmers are strengthening cost management and exploring more efficient ways of producing as diesel rises from E28.85 to E32.25 per litre from Friday, October 2, 2026, with the measures coming as the 2026/27 planting season gets underway and producers prepare to manage higher transport, mechanisation and input costs.
The E3.43 per litre increase announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy has prompted greater attention to how farmers can control production costs while maintaining agricultural output.
Agriculture Minister Mandla Tshawuka said diesel prices have a direct bearing on the cost of agricultural production because fuel is used in machinery and the transportation of farming inputs.
“When fuel, especially diesel, goes up, agricultural inputs go up. That is fertiliser, agrochemicals and machine rates,” Tshawuka said.
Despite the increase, farmers have options to improve efficiency and manage costs collectively.
Eswatini National Agricultural Union (ESNAU) Chief Executive Officer Tammy Dlamini said farmers using the Government tractor-hire programme have some certainty for the current season, as the rate is, to ESNAU’s understanding, already locked.
“As far as we know, the Government tractor-hire price for this season is locked. Government will not change it,” Dlamini said.
He said the main areas requiring careful cost management include fertiliser, seed and other imported agricultural inputs, which can be affected by transportation costs.
“The biggest impact could be on fertiliser because most of it is imported. Fuel affects transportation costs, and that eventually affects what farmers pay. Seeds and other farming inputs could also become more expensive,” he said.
Economist Sanele Sibiya said farmers can respond to the changing cost environment by working together and improving the efficiency of their operations.
He recommended cooperative tractor hire, bulk purchasing of agricultural inputs and coordinated transport among farmers.
Such approaches could help farmers reduce unnecessary machinery movement, negotiate input purchases collectively and manage transportation costs more efficiently.
Grain and vegetable farmer Robert Nhlengetfwa said farmers have to consider fuel costs across the entire production chain, from bringing inputs to the farm to transporting harvested produce to markets.
“It is not only about filling the tractor. Fertiliser and seed must be transported to the farm, and after producing, we still have to transport our produce to the market,” Nhlengetfwa said.
Sibiya also encouraged farmers to consider appropriate locally produced soil-fertility alternatives, including organic compost, where technically suitable, as one way of reducing dependence on imported inputs.
He cautioned, however, against indiscriminately reducing essential inputs simply to cut costs, as this could affect yields.
Longer-term measures proposed by Sibiya include greater investment in renewable energy for irrigation and mechanisation, agricultural innovation and stronger regional cooperation on agricultural input supplies.
The measures come as farmers enter a new planting season while also monitoring weather conditions and the possibility of El Niño.
Sibiya said improved irrigation efficiency and better planning can help farmers strengthen their resilience when rainfall conditions become challenging.
With the new diesel price taking effect from Friday, farmers are therefore entering the 2026/27 season with greater emphasis on budgeting, resource efficiency and collective approaches to managing production costs.
The focus on cost management provides farmers with practical ways to navigate changing production conditions while continuing to support food production in the country.
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(Courtesy Pic)
