BY KING’S OFFICE CORRESPONDENTS
TAINAN, TAIWAN – His Majesty King Mswati III continued his packed programme in Taiwan on Sunday, travelling 324 km from Taipei to Tainan with President Lai Ching-te for a day of official engagements focused on agriculture, technology and bilateral cooperation.
The King, accompanied by Liphovela LaZuma, Emazinyane and his delegation left Taipei early in the morning aboard a special military flight. President Lai travelled with him to Tainan Army Base, where the two leaders began the day before visiting several projects in the city.
The final stop was the Ministry of Agriculture’s Floral Innovation Park, where Taiwan displayed how new technology is being used to support one of the island’s most successful farming industries. The King later returned to Taipei by high-speed train.
The visit formed part of a demanding schedule that began soon after the King arrived in Taiwan in the early hours of Friday. Since then, he and President Lai have taken part in a series of business and official events, including Taiwan’s 115th National Day celebrations on Saturday.
At the Floral Innovation Park, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Huang Chao-chin presented the King with a potted orchid bearing the colours of Eswatini’s national flag. The design was printed on the flower’s white petals using a Taiwanese spray-dyeing technique.
Huang said the gift brought together science, design and symbolism, and reflected the friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini.
The King thanked the ministry for the presentation and praised the skill involved in reproducing the flag’s fine details on orchid petals.
Officials said the method was developed by Symon Agricultural Biotech Co Ltd, a Taiwanese company working in orchid production and design.
The technique allows detailed images and patterns to be placed on orchid petals without harming the flower. For Taiwan, it is an example of how farming, science and art can work together to add value to a product already known across international markets.
During the visit, the King and his delegation received a briefing from the park’s research and development centre before touring Symon’s facilities and greenhouses.
The tour gave them a closer look at how Taiwan grows, protects and markets orchids, and how technology is used to improve quality and consistency.
Huang said Taiwan’s farmers were increasingly using smarter tools to cope with changing weather and rising production costs. These include better watering systems, equipment that tracks greenhouse conditions, alerts for pests and diseases, and machinery that reduces manual work.
He said such lessons could be useful to Eswatini as it works to strengthen food production and build more resilient farms. The visit was therefore not only a display of Taiwan’s floriculture industry, but also a chance to share practical ideas that could support Eswatini’s agricultural development.
Taiwan and Eswatini have maintained diplomatic relations since 1968, and officials on both sides described the partnership as close and enduring. Agriculture has long formed part of that relationship. The Taiwan Technical Mission in Eswatini is supporting projects in guava and strawberry production and marketing, as well as tilapia farming.
The Ministry of Agriculture also works with Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Vegetable Centre to promote traditional African vegetables and help build supply chains in Eswatini. Officials say the aim is to improve food security, nutrition and income opportunities for local farmers.
The deputy Minister Huang said Taiwan would continue to share farming knowledge and industry experience with Eswatini, with the goal of deepening cooperation, supporting economic growth and helping farmers adapt to future challenges.
