By EPN Reporter
MBABANE – Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini wants a permanent office of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Eswatini.
The prime minister said this yesterday when he paid a courtesy visit to the head offices of the FAO in Rome, Italy. During this visit, the prime minister was received by FAO Director General Qu Dongyu. The premier also wanted the FAO to expand its footprint in the country.
Dlamini told Dongyu that Eswatini was working with farmers to ensure that they moved from subsistence farming to commercial farming. The conversion from subsistence to commercial farming, the PM said, was done while ensuring that food security was achieved.
He further mentioned that the country was on the process of establishing grand reserves that would ensure that country survived famines and droughts, instead of having to rely on imports from neighbouring countries.
In response, Director Dongyu told Dlamini that the FAO was committed to helping Eswatini with all its agricultural needs and aspirations. The Director further promised the prime minister that FAO would help Eswatini come up with a plan on how to transform the country’ agricultural sector in order to attain food security.
Dongyu said in October this year, his organisation was planning to host a Food Summit. He believed that by that time, his team would have visited Eswatini to help in coming up with that plan. The premier also visited the offices of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
During this visit, Dlamini was received by IFAD President Alvaro Lario. Lario promised Dlamini that IFAD would continue to help smallholder farmers with funds and technologies to help farmers work under the smart agriculture initiatives.
