BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
MBABANE – The Eswatini Agriculture Development Fund (EADF) has invested more than E42 million in local agribusinesses since its establishment, helping farmers expand production, create jobs and strengthen the country’s drive towards food security and agricultural commercialisation.
The achievements were revealed in the EADF First Quarter Performance Report for the 2026/27 financial year, which shows that beneficiaries have also repaid more than E1.7 million in loans, reflecting encouraging progress in the Fund’s repayment performance.
Established under the Public Finance Management Act of 2017, the EADF is Government’s main financing vehicle for supporting investment in agriculture. The Fund provides affordable financing at an interest rate of nine per cent per annum, while also offering technical assistance, mentorship, business advisory services and financial literacy training to help enterprises succeed.
The report states that 68 financed enterprises received regular monitoring, technical support and mentorship during the quarter to improve productivity, strengthen business management and ensure long-term sustainability.
Farmers and agribusiness owners also benefited from financial literacy and business management training aimed at improving record keeping, planning and financial discipline.
To expand access to agricultural finance, the Fund submitted 14 loan applications worth more than E8 million to Eswatini Bank for appraisal during the quarter. The applications reflected growing demand for affordable agricultural financing, with the horticulture sector accounting for the largest share of requests.
The report, however, notes that delays in the appraisal of loan applications by the financing partner slowed approvals and postponed loan disbursements. This affected some farmers’ ability to begin production in line with the agricultural calendar.
Despite the challenge, the Fund said it remained committed to supporting commercially viable agricultural enterprises and working with stakeholders to improve financing turnaround times.
It said its integrated approach of combining affordable finance with technical support continues to strengthen businesses, increase agricultural productivity, create employment opportunities and contribute to Eswatini’s food sovereignty and economic growth.
The report further highlights that the Fund will continue strengthening enterprise monitoring, mentorship and business development services while enhancing collaboration with financing partners to ensure more farmers access funding on time and maximise agricultural production.
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