Eswatini

Seed sector in Eswatini

Eswatini’s land tenure system is divided into two categories: land owned by private commercial farmers who export cash crops abroad and land owned by smallholder farmers.

In 1985 the government introduced the National Maize Cooperation, where farmers can sell their maize. This market is located strategically throughout the whole country, reducing the sales burden for farmers. The government has also created a seed processing plant called the Seed Multiplication Project (SMP) and contracted commercial farmers to produce seed on behalf of the government.

Seeds are imported from seed companies in the region. The SMP recently became operational and repackages seeds that come in bulk from other countries. It also delivers farming inputs to retailers in all parts of the country, which makes it easier for smallholder farmers to access farming inputs locally.

To discourage an influx of fake seeds, the government introduced the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act of 2000. If there is a seed company that wishes to produce seeds in the country (one that is on the variety list), it registers with the Registrar of Seeds and is monitored by the seed quality control services from pre-planting to packaging.

Observations

There are eight index companies present in Eswatini, though none have breeding or processing locations. The only one with a seed production location and extension services is Seed Co, which along with Capstone Seeds also has a testing location in the country.