By Sizwe Dlamini
The Minister of Agriculture, Mandla Tshawuka, has announced in a press release that payments for the input subsidy and tractor hire inputs began on Friday, August 2, 2024.
The program will run until September 30, 2024, or until the budget is exhausted, whichever comes first.
Under this initiative, the Ministry of Agriculture will cover 50% of the costs for essential crops, with the following contributions: Maize: E5700, Beans: E4600, and Sorghum: E3000. Farmers are required to match the government’s subsidy amount, making their total contribution equal to that of the government.
To participate, farmers must register through the Agriculture Integrated Information System (AIIS) with the help of Extension Officers or at Regional Development Agency (RDA) offices.
Payments to receive the subsidy can be made using MoMo from MTN, e-Mali from Eswatini Mobile, or directly at Eswatini Bank. However, to make payments at Eswatini Bank, farmers must first obtain a deposit slip from their nearest RDA office.
For subsidized tractor hire services, the government will cover 31% of the E580 per hour cost, contributing E180 per hour, while farmers will pay E400 per hour.
This program is designed to ease financial burdens on farmers and enhance agricultural productivity. The Ministry encourages farmers to seize this valuable opportunity by registering and making payments promptly to benefit from these subsidies before the budget is depleted.