BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – In what might come as good news to Eswatini farmers, Government has allocated E59 million to make the coming ploughing season to be easy for them.
Government has made the ploughing season easy for farmers through the input subsidy programme. Under this programme, Government contributes 65 percent of the costs incurred by the farmer for crop production. The farmer pays the remaining 35 percent.
Last year, for instance, the cost of inputs for a single hector stood at E14 000. Government contributed 65 percent of the amount, which is E9 100. Farmers contributed E4 900, which equates to 35 percent of the total amount. This was the Eswatini Government’s means to cushion farmers against the high input costs which were experienced.
In September last year, former Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini was reported to have said at least E227.2 million was spent on the programme in the last five years, which can roughly mean that an amount of E45.44 million was spent each financial year for the programme.
However, Minister Rijkenberg saw it fit that money for this programme should be increased, as demand for this service kept on increasing. The Minister said this yesterday when delivering the Budget Speech for 2024/25 financial year.
“Government continues to support our farmers through the Input Subsidy Programme being implemented through the National Maize Corporation (NMC). The main goal is to increase production and productivity. It has been noted that the demand for services under this programme has increased and E59 million has been allocated to address this,” said Rijkenberg.
The Minister also stated that the Agriculture Revolving Fund was also proving to assist rural farmers and an additional E35 million would be allocated to this Fund.
