By 
By Delisa Magagula
The Ministry of Agriculture has taken a delivery of five brand-new Isuzu 4×4 double cab vehicles worth E3.57 million, provided under the Eswatini Livestock Value Chain Development Project with funding from the European Union (EU) and implementation support from the International Trade Centre (ITC).
The vehicles were officially handed over at the Ministry’s headquarters, with senior government officials, EU representatives, and ITC project managers in attendance.
Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka said the acquisition marked a significant milestone in enhancing service delivery in the livestock sector.
“These vehicles will enable our extension officers to reach even the most remote communities, delivering critical services and technical support that will boost productivity and enhance the livelihoods of Emaswati,” the minister said.
According to the Ministry, livestock extension officers play a critical role in providing on-the-ground support to farmers, including training, disease surveillance, veterinary services, and market linkage facilitation.
However, reaching some rural communities has been a longstanding challenge due to inadequate transportation.
Minister Tshawuka said the new fleet of 4×4 vehicles would directly address this gap, enabling officers to travel to areas with difficult terrain and provide timely interventions.
“Access to reliable transport is essential for the success of our extension services. Farmers in remote areas deserve the same level of support as those closer to urban centres, and these vehicles will ensure we can deliver on that commitment,” he said.
The Eswatini Livestock Value Chain Development Project is designed to tackle systemic challenges in the livestock sector, including animal nutrition, health, genetics, market access, and rangeland management.
By strengthening these areas, the project aims to improve productivity, quality, and profitability for livestock farmers across the country.
An official from the ITC explained that the project includes capacity-building for farmers, distribution of improved breeding stock, training on sustainable grazing practices, and facilitation of access to both local and export markets.
The vehicles, the official added, are an operational necessity for field teams delivering these interventions on a national scale.
Minister Tshawuka expressed appreciation to the European Union for its continued investment in Eswatini’s agricultural development, noting that this was one of many initiatives supported by the EU.
“This is just one of many initiatives through which the EU has shown true friendship with Eswatini, from supporting our fight against Foot and Mouth Disease to the construction of 16 small and medium-sized dams across the country,” he said.
He said such partnerships were vital for the long-term sustainability of the sector, particularly in addressing recurring challenges such as drought, pasture degradation, and animal disease outbreaks.
The EU Ambassador to Eswatini, Karsten Mecklenburg said the organisation’s support was guided by the principle of strengthening livelihoods through sustainable and inclusive agricultural practices.
He noted that the livestock sector was a vital component of rural incomes and food security in Eswatini, and that improving its efficiency and resilience had a direct impact on poverty reduction.
“Our support to the livestock value chain is not just about immediate inputs, but about building a system that works for farmers in the long term. Reliable transport for extension services is one of the building blocks of that system,” Ambassador Mecklenburg said.
Livestock farming accounts for a significant share of rural household incomes in Eswatini, with cattle, goats, sheep, and poultry being the main species farmed. However, challenges in production quality, disease control, and market access have hindered sector growth.
The Ministry said the Livestock Value Chain Development Project was designed to address these bottlenecks holistically.
This includes improving genetic quality through breeding programmes, promoting better animal health through disease prevention campaigns, and facilitating entry into high-value markets through compliance with quality and safety standards.
An ITC representative explained that market access interventions under the project were linked to regional trade opportunities within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and potential niche markets overseas.
The Ministry’s veterinary and extension units are expected to be the primary users of the new vehicles. These teams will conduct routine farm visits, vaccination drives, disease surveillance, and technical training sessions for farmers.
A senior official in the Ministry’s Livestock Department said that mobility had been a limiting factor for years, particularly in regions such as Lubombo and Shiselweni where distances between farming communities are vast and road infrastructure is challenging.
“With these vehicles, we can improve our response time to disease outbreaks, deliver technical assistance more consistently, and monitor livestock production trends more accurately,” the official said.
Beyond the livestock sector, the European Union has supported various agricultural initiatives in Eswatini, including irrigation infrastructure, climate-smart farming projects, and capacity-building programmes for smallholder farmers.
Its assistance in constructing 16 small and medium-sized dams across the country has been aimed at improving water availability for both crop and livestock production, thereby enhancing resilience to drought and climate variability.
The EU has also provided funding for the upgrading of laboratory facilities for animal disease diagnostics, which has strengthened the country’s capacity to manage transboundary animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease.
The International Trade Centre, which is jointly owned by the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, is responsible for implementing the Livestock Value Chain Development Project in Eswatini.
The ITC works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that interventions are aligned with national policies and priorities.
ITC’s country coordinator for Eswatini said that the delivery of the vehicles was a practical step in ensuring that project activities were implemented effectively and reached the intended beneficiaries.
“We can have the best technical solutions on paper, but without the means to get our teams to the field, those solutions cannot be applied where they are needed most. These vehicles close that gap,” the coordinator said.
Representatives of farmers’ associations attending the handover ceremony welcomed the investment, saying it would improve access to technical services that are often difficult to obtain in rural areas.
The chairperson of a cattle farmers’ cooperative in Shiselweni said that timely veterinary services were critical for preventing disease losses, particularly for small-scale farmers who could not afford private veterinary care.
“When an outbreak happens, delays in getting treatment can wipe out entire herds. If these vehicles mean quicker response times, then they will have saved livelihoods,” the cooperative leader said.
Minister Tshawuka said the Ministry would ensure that the vehicles were properly maintained and used exclusively for their intended purposes to maximise their lifespan and impact.
He emphasised that the government remained committed to working with partners such as the EU and ITC to modernise and strengthen Eswatini’s agricultural sector.
“Agriculture is the backbone of rural development. By building capacity in the livestock sector, we are securing food security, creating jobs, and opening opportunities for export,” the minister said.
The Ministry confirmed that the vehicles would be deployed immediately to all four regions of the country, with priority given to areas with the highest livestock populations and greatest need for extension services.
The EU Ambassador concluded by saying that the organisation’s support to the project was part of its wider partnership with Eswatini to promote inclusive growth and rural development.
“We are committed to continuing our cooperation with the Government and people of Eswatini to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the agricultural sector,” Ambassador Mecklenburg said.
With the delivery of the E3.57 million fleet, the Livestock Value Chain Development Project enters a more operational phase, aiming to bring tangible improvements to the productivity and profitability of livestock farming across Eswatini.
