{"id":6103,"date":"2025-11-25T10:38:56","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T08:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swazidailynews.com\/?p=6103"},"modified":"2025-11-25T10:38:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T08:38:56","slug":"eswatini-must-end-reliance-on-food-imports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/genesisekucalenimedia.com\/edn\/6103\/eswatini-daily-news\/eswatini-must-end-reliance-on-food-imports\/","title":{"rendered":"Eswatini must end reliance on food imports"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Minister for Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka has called on the nation to take seriously the urgent need to improve local food production, warning that no country can sustainably depend on imported food.<\/p>\n<p>He explained that for Eswatini to achieve true food security, it must strengthen its own agricultural capacity. Speaking during a Phezukomkhono programme engagement, the Minister highlighted that food imports expose the country to unpredictable global markets and foreign price shocks.<\/p>\n<p>These conditions often translate into higher food prices for citizens, threatening national stability and household survival.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Minister, the country is blessed with fertile land and a hardworking population capable of producing enough food to feed the nation.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6108\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6108\" style=\"width: 1059px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-6108\" src=\"https:\/\/genesisekucalenimedia.com\/edn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PAGE-2-SUBLEAD-Minister-for-Agriculture-Mandla-Tshawuka-looks-on-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1059\" height=\"794\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6108\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Minister for Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka looks on<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He urged both new and experienced farmers to intensify their efforts, especially in the current planting season which comes at a time when the country has been receiving encouraging rainfall.<\/p>\n<p>He emphasised that the rain must not go to waste and encouraged farmers to plant maize and beans which are among the most consumed staple foods in the country.<\/p>\n<p>The Minister reminded citizens that the responsibility to feed the nation cannot be left to the government alone. Instead, it should be a joint effort where farmers, communities and the state work together.<\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"_df_book df-lite\" id=\"6095\"  data-title=\"\" wpoptions=\"true\" thumbtype=\"\" ><\/div><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>He said this collaborative approach can help Eswatini move from dependency to agricultural resilience. He stressed that producing food locally also helps preserve the dignity of the nation by reducing foreign reliance and boosting national pride.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Minister for Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka has called on the nation to take seriously the urgent need to improve&hellip;","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,22,24,25],"tags":[46,92,55,73,58],"class_list":["post-6103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-africa","category-eswatini-daily-news","category-future","category-national","tag-africa","tag-agriculture","tag-business","tag-eswatini","tag-national","cs-entry","cs-video-wrap"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - 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