MBABANE– “I urge you to maximise all the resources which have been availed to you and set your eye on the goal, which is to be food secure at homestead level, and to increase your income.”
These were the words of Minister of Agriculture Jabulani Mabuza when officially handing over farm machinery to the Nhletjeni Multipurpose Irrigation Scheme. The handover happened today at Nhletjeni in the Shiselweni Region, where the Nhletjeni Multipurpose Cooperative presides over the Irrigation Scheme.
The farm machinery, which is worth about E4,860,000, was contributed by the European Union to help improve the productivity of farmers under the High Value Crops and Horticulture Project (HVCHP).
Minister Mabuza extended congratulations to the inspirational and hardworking farmers who are behind the Nhletjeni Multipurpose Cooperative.
He noted their contribution to a variety of high-quality produce for local consumption as well as international export. He further pledged the Government’s support to the farmers, as well as other farmers like them.
“We pledge our support to the cooperative, and through the Ministry’s extension department, and through the Ministry’s parastatals we shall ensure that capacity building for production and marketing is strengthened. Our hope is that this becomes a financially viable and sustainable project,” said the Minister.
In addition to the Ministry of Agriculture and the EU, the Nhletjeni Irrigation Scheme is supported by Eswatini Water Development Enterprise (ESWADE), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
