BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Government has handed over a water harvesting project to farmers under Nkwene Inkhundla in the Shiselweni Region.
The Water Harvesting, Small and Medium Dams Project (WHDP) Works Implementation Programme was handed over today (Wednesday, August 21, 2024) with the aim of reducing food insecurity and boosting sustainable economic growth in Eswatini.
The project focuses on developing 527.2 hectares of land across three regions: Hhohho, Manzini, and Shiselweni. The project will benefit farmers in 16 different schemes, helping them increase productivity and improve household incomes. This project hand-over was made possible by Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, as well as the European Union (EU) Eswatini.
This initiative is not just about farming; it’s about building a stronger, more resilient economy for Eswatini. By reducing our reliance on rain-dependent agriculture, we ensure that our farming activities can thrive even in the face of climate change.
At the handover ceremony, Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development Sikhumbuzo Dlamini expressed profound gratitude to the European Union for their support, stating: “As the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, we have always recognized that with climate change and its uncertainties upon us, relying solely on rainfall for our farming activities is neither realistic nor sustainable. The EU’s support came at the right time as we have been working to increase the number of dams across the country, particularly in the drier regions.”
Dlamini, who was representing Minister of Economic Planning and Development Dr Tambo Gina said, “Agriculture remains the backbone of the economy of this country both in terms of its contribution to economic growth, employment creation especially for the youth, export earnings, food security as well as the alleviation of poverty amongst our people. It is for this reason that His Majesty’s government prioritises the agricultural sector and is committed to mobilise and allocate more resources as investment in this sector to enable its growth.”
