Mbabane - The FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, held a bilateral meeting on 24 February with The Honorable Jabulani Clement Mabuza, Minister of Agriculture of the Kingdom of Eswatini.
The Minister welcomed the Director-General to the Kingdom and thanked him for his visit. He proceeded to explain that although Eswatini is a small country they have a lot of potential to expand the agriculture sector.
The Minister conveyed his appreciation for the support provided by the FAO team in the country and for their engagement in providing the required technical support.
He also highlighted some of the programmatic support received, including the provision of equipment, food control systems (to determine food safety standards), as well as for climate smart agriculture. He underlined that due to the climate crisis, the country has experienced severe heat waves followed by heavy rains, and that the technical guidance from the Organization is critical in addressing the challenges faced.
The Minister proceeded to share with the Director General that smallholder farmers in the country still require a lot of support for the transformation of agrifood systems. Grains for consumption, especially maize which is a stable food for the population, are still being imported and the aim is to increase production. He informed of the national plan “Let’s eat what we produce” launched in 2019, which aims to promote Better Production.
The Director-General thanked the Minister for his warm welcome and recalled the long-standing partnership with the country. He informed the Minister that the FAO team has a strong programme for the transformation of the agrifood system and that it is aligned with the Governments policy, and that he is confident that the collaboration will deliver fruitful results.
The Director-General also conveyed his satisfaction with the national plan to improve production, and noted that it was an excellent example of circular economy and could show positive results.
Qu further highlighted the importance of digital agriculture as an area where there is potential to advance, involve the youth and link agriculture to agrotourism. The Director-General concluded by emphasizing the importance of designing together for the future, and to identify innovative ways to transform agrifood systems.
