Mbabane – Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini on Friday toured three agricultural projects funded through the Eswatini Agriculture Development Fund, visiting sites at Sicunusa, Njojane and Hlane to assess the progress of investments made through the government financing mechanism.
The EADF was established by government in November 2024 as a catalytic financing mechanism aimed at accelerating the implementation of the Eswatini National Agriculture Investment Plan. To date, the fund has disbursed more than E42.7 million towards strategic agricultural investments spanning grain production, livestock, horticulture value chains, mechanisation and agricultural infrastructure development.
At Sicunusa in the Shiselweni Region, the Prime Minister visited the Agro-Acres enterprise operated by the four Mkhaliphi siblings, young entrepreneurs managing an 80-hectare maize and bean farming operation with more than E2.3 million in EADF financing. The siblings have followed in their parents’ footsteps in running the enterprise. 
At Njojane, the Prime Minister visited the layer production enterprise of Mr. Zwelithini Felix Nkentshane, whose operation supplies eggs to the market and has capacity for up to 1 000 chicks at a time. The final stop was the Imfihlo Yebesutfu Broiler Production Facility in Hlane, owned by former Member of Parliament Mr. Mduduzi Magagula, with a production capacity of up to 26 000 broiler chicks at any given time.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Acting Minister of Agriculture Hon. Bongani Nzima, Senate President Hon. Lindiwe Dlamini, members of both Houses of Parliament and senior government officials.
Reflecting on the visits, Prime Minister Dlamini said the projects demonstrated the transformative impact that strategic agricultural financing can have on production, job creation, rural economic development and food security, adding that they reflect Objective 4 of the Nkwe Programme of Action, which seeks to advance food sovereignty and sustainable development by 2029.
“These projects vividly demonstrate the transformative impact that strategic agricultural financing can have on production, job creation, rural economic development, and food security,” he said.
The Prime Minister commended the Director, management and staff of the EADF, the EADF Steering Committee, financial partners and all stakeholders for their collective contributions to the fund’s success.
He also paid tribute to the farmers themselves, saying: “Their resilience, dedication, and entrepreneurial spirit are turning investment into impact, transforming agricultural enterprises into engines of growth and helping to build a more food-secure, prosperous, and self-reliant Eswatini.”
