By Hlengiwe Ndlovu | 2019-02-21
MINISTER of Agriculture Jabulani Mabuza has embarked on a mission to familiarise himself with agricultural projects, parastatals and the ministry’s stakeholders.
The minister started the tour in January and is expected to wind up in the beginning of March, the ministry said in a statement.
So far Mabuza has visited a dairy processing plant, Eswatini Meat Industries in Matsapha, Parmalat, Ngwempisi Farm, Gege Dairy Farm, Nhlangano Pack house, Ncabeni fresh produce market, NAMBoard offices, Eswatini Dairy Board offices, Veterinary services offices and the National Maize Corporation (NMC).
Making his remarks in one of his stops, the minister made an example of SMI a company that currently employs over 200 Emaswati.
The minister said SMI plans to embark on a multi-million expansion project which will result in the processing area being extended, thus creating more job opportunities for Emaswati.
In another matter, the minister challenged everyone in his ministry ranging from the Principal Secretary to support staff to work as a team and to come up with new strategies which would be used for the next five years.
The minister also challenged extension officers in his ministry to make sure that they capacitate young people with critical skills needed in commercial farming and to encourage the use in agricultural value chains. Making his remarks, Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Xolani Dlamini pledged to support the ministry in every way possible. He said the Veterinary Offices were strategically built and their laboratories capacitate to make tests for diseases like Newcastle, Influenza, TB and other diseases. In the meantime, Dr. Dlamini encouraged all farmers to tag and register their livestock.
In the same breathe, Dr. Dlamini complained that some of their equipment is expensive and costly to maintain. The minister is still to tour the following projects: Buseleni Farm, Cotton Board, ESWADE offices at Siphofaneni, LUSIP Projects, Lavumisa Pack House, Mpakeni Project, Malkerns Research Station and Mpisi Breeding Centre.
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