Africa-Press – Eswatini. In what deserves to be described as a remarkable milestone and a hallmark of EWADE’s dedication to propel the country toward food-sovereign status as per the Ministry of Agriculture’s strategy, the organisation’s -sponsored farmers under the Hamba Ubuye Revolving Fund have significantly strengthened the national maize basket.
This was vividly confirmed during the recently held Maize Farmers Awards hosted by the National Maize Corporation (NMC), where EWADE-funded farmers swept almost all the boards.
In the Top Maize Farmer category, EWADE-bankrolled growers secured positions one to six consecutively and placed ninth and tenth.
Notably, for the 2024/25 season, EWADE provided a financial injection to 206 farmers, who planted 1,567.78 hectares and harvested 3,530.17 metric tons from inputs valued at over E14 million.
This output alone accounted for approximately 4.59 percent of the national maize delivered during the season, underscoring the programme’s expanding footprint in national food production.
Sibonginkosi Johnson emerged as the top maize producer with 258.08 tons, followed by Mgucisi Dlamini with 130.64 tons. Third place went to Maphephetse Mkhaliphi, also with 130.64 tons, while Emanuel Nhlengetfwa ranked fourth with 113.92 tons.
Thembisile Dlamini claimed fifth position with 104.12 tons, and Gcina Shabangu secured sixth place with 98.56 tons. Completing the top performers were Pholani Dlamini, who came ninth with 86.54 tons, and Thoko Manana, who placed tenth with 65.86 tons.
The strong performance continued across other categories, with Hamba Ubuye farmers further hoisting EWADE’s flag.
Thandi Nhlabatsi was the overall winner in the Woman Farmer – Highest Productivity in Maize category with 9.01 tons per hectare, and she also secured second and third positions in the same category.
Mpendulo Langwenya took the overall Youth Farmer – Highest Productivity in Maize with 6.14 tons per hectare, while Mgucisi Dlamini was crowned the Most Consistent Farmer over the years.
Under the Farmer Companies category, Malabane Farmer Company from Ndzevane, operating under the Lower Usuthu Smallholder Irrigation Project Phase II (LUSIP II), outperformed all other farmer companies and was crowned the Top Maize Producer – Farmer Company with an impressive 76.08 tons.
Combined, EWADE-supported farmers walked away with over E122,500 in cash prizes.
Commenting on the exceptional performance, EWADE CEO Dr Samson Sithole attributed the farmers’ dominance to the organisation’s integrated support model, financial, technical and strategic.
“What pushes these farmers to perform at this level is the combination of timely funding and intensive technical backing,” he said.
“Our revolving fund ensures they receive the right inputs at the right time, while our extension officers remain on the ground throughout the season, guiding land preparation, crop management and yield-maximisation practices.
When farmers are equipped with both capital and knowledge, their productivity naturally increases.”
Dr Sithole further stressed that EWADE’s approach is not accidental but is deliberately aligned with the Ministry of Agriculture’s strategy of propelling Eswatini toward full food sovereignty. “Our mandate is fundamentally tied to the ministry’s vision,” he said.
“Food sovereignty is not achieved through policy statements alone, it requires production, scale and farmer capacity. Hamba Ubuye is structured to deliver exactly that.
This is why EWADE-supported farmers dominate maize production metrics; the programme is designed to build a resilient, self-reliant national food system.”
Since its inception in the 2021/22 season, the Commercial Maize Project Revolving Fund has grown at a striking pace.
In its first year, the programme supported 17 farmers who planted 172.5 hectares and yielded 594 metric tons of maize from inputs valued at E839,074.00, achieving a 92 percent recovery rate.
In the 2022/23 season, the programme expanded to 73 farmers planting 545 hectares and producing 1,362 metric tons from inputs worth E4.9 million with an 88 percent recovery rate.
Growth continued in the 2023/24 season, when 106 farmers planted 856 hectares and generated 2,148 metric tons using inputs valued at E6,493,517.00, achieving an 89 percent recovery rate.
Looking ahead, 248 farmers comprising 192 males, 56 females and 21 youth have qualified for Hamba Ubuye funding in the 2025/26 season.
The projected cultivated area stands at 1,861 hectares, with an estimated yield of 7,444 metric tons supported by input requirements estimated at E18 million. As of today’s launch, 147 farmers across the four regions have already received farming inputs valued at over E11.7 million.
Dr Sithole added that the next phase of the programme would prioritise even higher productivity through intensified technical oversight, mechanisation support and stronger market linkages.
“Every additional ton produced brings Eswatini closer to its food-sovereignty vision. Our focus is to keep driving yields upward while strengthening farmers’ long-term commercial viability,” he said.
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