By: Nkosiyabusa Nsibande
In his remarks during the House of Assembly Portfolio Committee, Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka highlighted that agricultural production figures present two contrasting realities for the country’s economy. On one hand, bean production has more than doubled, reaching 3 500 metric tons and supplying approximately half of domestic consumption. On the other hand, maize, the country’s staple food, has experienced a six percent production decline, underscoring the vulnerability of agricultural output to weather shocks and structural production constraints. Together, these developments illustrate both the progress and the unfinished business of building a resilient agricultural sector capable of supporting economic growth, reducing import dependence, and strengthening household food security.
The increase in bean production represents one of the clearest examples of how targeted public investment can improve agricultural performance. Agriculture Minister Mandla Tshawuka told Parliament that production had increased from 1,390 metric tonnes to 3,500 metric tonnes following government support programs, farmer outreach initiatives, and efforts to encourage crop diversification.
“We encouraged farmers to plant beans after harvesting maize,” Tshawuka explained, adding that continuous engagement with communities and government-supported programs had contributed significantly to the improved harvest.
From a financial perspective, the achievement extends beyond food production. Every additional tonne of beans produced locally represents foreign exchange that remains within Eswatini instead of being spent on imports. Greater domestic production also creates opportunities for farmers to generate higher incomes, strengthens rural economic activity, and improves supply for processors, retailers, and wholesalers operating within the country’s food value chain.
The results also demonstrate the economic value of diversification. Farmers who traditionally depended almost entirely on maize are increasingly incorporating beans into their production systems, creating an additional revenue stream while making better use of available land. This approach reduces business risk because income is no longer tied to a single crop whose performance depends heavily on seasonal weather conditions.
However, the decline in maize production from 73 000 to 69 000 metric tonnes highlights the limits of current agricultural interventions. According to Tshawuka, heavy rains disrupted planting at the beginning of the season before dry conditions later affected crop development, illustrating how increasingly unpredictable weather patterns continue to threaten agricultural productivity.
For investors and policymakers, this reinforces the economic case for accelerating investment in irrigation infrastructure, climate-smart farming technologies, and improved seed varieties. Without reducing weather-related production risks, Eswatini will remain vulnerable to recurring food imports that expose consumers to international price fluctuations and place additional pressure on the country’s import bill.
The government’s commitment to protecting local producers also carries important implications for agricultural investment. Tshawuka said authorities were enforcing agricultural marketing regulations through the National Agricultural Marketing Board to regulate the movement of agricultural products across border posts and create a fairer competitive environment for domestic farmers.
“It would be unfair competition to say our farmers must compete with people outside the country who have many privileges,” Tshawuka said.
While such measures can strengthen confidence among local producers, they also bring a delicate policy balancing act. Protecting domestic agriculture encourages investment and supports farm profitability, but policymakers must simultaneously ensure that protection does not translate into persistently high food prices for consumers.
That tension was reflected during the parliamentary debate. Zombodze Emuva MP Ntando Mkhonta questioned why bean prices remained high despite the significant increase in local production, arguing that affordable food remains essential for household welfare. His intervention highlights an important market question: increasing production alone does not automatically lower retail prices if production costs, transport expenses, storage limitations, and market concentration continue to influence the final price paid by consumers.
Members of Parliament also raised concerns over expensive farming inputs, delayed delivery of agricultural equipment, and the country’s continued reliance on imported maize despite possessing irrigated areas capable of supporting commercial production. These concerns point towards structural cost pressures that continue to limit agricultural profitability and discourage new investment, particularly among smallholder farmers.
The discussions with irrigation operators, including the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation, to explore expanded maize production may therefore represent one of the most strategically significant developments emerging from the parliamentary debate. If successfully implemented, partnerships that utilize existing irrigation infrastructure could substantially increase maize output without requiring entirely new large-scale capital investments.
Ultimately, the latest production figures suggest that Eswatini’s agricultural strategy is beginning to generate measurable results in crop diversification. Yet the broader financial objective extends beyond producing more food. Sustainable agricultural growth will require a farming sector that consistently delivers attractive returns to producers, affordable prices to consumers, and reduced dependence on imported staples. Achieving that balance will determine whether agriculture evolves into a stronger contributor to national economic growth or remains vulnerable to climatic shocks and rising production costs.
