By 
Eswatini spends nearly E1 billion annually importing white maize and beans, according to the National Maize Corporation (NMC), which has unveiled a turnaround strategy to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign staples.
NMC Chief Executive Officer Mavela Vilane disclosed the figures while addressing the Ministry of Agriculture Portfolio Committee during a meeting in Pigg’s Peak.
He said the corporation is determined to transform the country’s grain sector so that Eswatini can feed itself without relying on imports.
“We were established in 1985, and today we are 40 years old as an organisation. Yet, this country still spends close to E1 billion a year importing white maize and beans, even though it is within our mandate to promote these commodities locally,” Vilane said.
Vilane outlined the corporation’s three-pillar turnaround strategy, which includes ensuring national self-sufficiency in staple grains, improving NMC’s financial stability, and driving operational efficiency through business optimisation.
The corporation has faced challenges in recent years, including corruption within its ranks, delays in service delivery, and insufficient capacity to meet national demand. Vilane acknowledged these issues and committed to reforms aimed at restoring integrity and efficiency.
The reliance on imports has been attributed to structural weaknesses in local agriculture.
Erratic weather patterns, a shortage of farming machinery, limited access to certified seed and fertiliser, and financial barriers for smallholder farmers have all contributed to the shortfall in local production.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Eswatini consumes approximately 120,000 metric tonnes of white maize per year, yet local production only covers 60 to 70 per cent of this requirement in a good season.
The deficit is filled through imports, primarily from South Africa, at a cost that drains national foreign currency reserves.
Similarly, demand for beans outpaces supply, with local farmers unable to produce enough to meet the country’s consumption levels.
Vilane emphasised that achieving food sovereignty will require reforms in subsidy distribution, better vetting of beneficiaries, and targeted support for smallholder farmers.
NMC will now play a leading role in vetting farmers who apply for government input subsidies, ensuring that assistance reaches genuinely needy households rather than wealthier farmers who can afford to purchase inputs without aid.
Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka confirmed that input subsidies will continue but with stricter eligibility rules.
“We want these programmes to serve their core mandate of helping financially struggling emaSwati. Changes will be made so that the right people benefit,” he said.
Dr Bonginkhosi Dlamini, Chairperson of the Agriculture Portfolio Committee, commended the turnaround strategy and said lawmakers would support legislative reforms that strengthen the NMC’s role in food production.
The drive for self-sufficiency has also been reinforced by development partners, who have stressed the urgency of reducing dependence on imported food.
Regional analysts note that shocks in global supply chains, such as droughts in South Africa or spikes in grain prices, directly impact Eswatini’s food security.
The new reforms, coupled with the government’s parallel tractor mechanisation programme, are expected to gradually reduce the import bill and channel resources into developing local capacity.
