BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – Minister for Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka has pleaded with developed countries to help Eswatini deal with environmental and agricultural challenges.
This happened during Tshawuka’s visit to the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) 33rd Africa Conference and Moroccan International which was held in Morocco from 18-20 April.
The FAO Regional Conference for Africa is held once every two years, in the years in which the FAO General Conference does not meet in regular session. The attendance of the Regional Conference is usually, at Ministers of Agriculture level.
The Minister and his delegation engaged in pivotal discussions at the Adaptation of Agriculture in Africa (AAA) meeting about scaling funding for Climate Change Adaptation.
“It is clear we must support smaller economies like Eswatini in these environmental challenges, ensuring they can recover and thrive alongside larger nations,” said Tshawuka.
He underscored the indispensable role of Blue Economy in reforming agrifood systems. He highlighted the imperative for landlocked nations like Eswatini to embrace aquatic food systems and requested FAO’s assistance in fostering the country’s fisheries development. Furthermore, he emphasized the necessity for a unified front against the mounting threats of overfishing and bycatch, underscoring their destabilising effects on global fish stocks.
Further building on the discourse of economic development, Eswatini’s state visit to Morocco included an informative exchange at OCP Africa focused on fertiliser production. This timely and relevant discussion highlighted the crucial role of fertiliser in securing Eswatini’s food security and sustainability, forming the bedrock of a robust agricultural sector.
Subsequently, bilaterally engaging with Morocco’s Minister for Agriculture, Mohammed Sadiki, proved to be a fruitful gathering, cementing the ties between the two nations based on a common aspiration for progress and prosperity.
