BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – National Maize Corporation (NMC) is scaling up the effort of maize production in the country as Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has recently predicted shortage of maize in the SADC region.
This was said by NMC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mavela Vilane in an interview with Eswatini TV’s Market View yesterday (Tuesday, July 23, 2024).
He stated that the annual demand for maize in Eswatini is approximately 140 000 metric tons. During the previous harvesting season of 2023/2024, the National Maize Corporation (NMC) produced around 85 000 metric tons, leaving a shortfall of 55 000 metric tons. This shortage was met through the import of maize from other countries.
Vilane, also noted that the national demand for beans is approximately 7 000 metric tons annually, while the average annual domestic production falls significantly short at less than 500 metric tons. This deficit of 6 500 metric tons is met through importing beans from other countries. When combined, the shortfall in production of both maize and beans results in an annual expenditure of approximately half a billion Emalangeni to import the necessary quantities to meet the country’s needs. Vilane emphasized the urgent need to increase local production in order to reduce this heavy reliance on imports.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Stakeholders recently conducted pre-harvest assessment to establish how maize is produced by the current season. The projections were that the country will produce 74 000 tons of maize in the current season which is a decline,” he said.
Vilane highlighted a concerning trend of declining maize production in the region, with the two major maize producers in SADC, South Africa and Zambia, experiencing reduced yields due to the El Nino weather phenomenon. He expressed concern that this development could have severe implications for Eswatini, as the country relies heavily on imports from these two countries.
In response, the Government has implemented a strategy to build a national grain reserve with enough stocks to sustain the country for at least three years, regardless of any adverse weather conditions or market fluctuations.
