By Delisa Thwala
His Excellency the Honourable Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has revealed that the Nation might face food insecurity due to surging prices of food.
Dlamini was speaking through Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta during the second edition of the Green Indaba held at Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini.
The second edition, Indaba, builds on the Inaugural 2023 Indaba and aims to bring together key stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, and international organisations, including the UN, to forge a path towards reliance and enhanced environmental and social sustainability (which is the main theme of the SNG/UN 2023 Indaba.
Dlamini said the heatwave experienced in January to February and hailstorms, among other factors. This, coupled with the wider regional drought is expected to result in a significant amount of the nation being food insecure and in a surge in food prices.
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The Premier said this has the potential to exacerbate the prevalence of stunting in children under five, which is a key indicator of chronic malnutrition, and currently stands at about 25.5%.
“The pre-harvest assessment revealed that despite the planted area remaining relatively stable, there is an estimated 12.5% decline in the country’s forecast harvest compared to the 2022/23 season.
Some of the crops, such as sorghum and groundnuts, are expected to have a significant decline of 44% and 51%, respectively,” he said.
In addition, Dlamini said these figures are not just statistics – they are a call to action. With the changing climate, they are now observing an earlier start of the winter-time winds that had been known as July winds, and they are now lasting longer.
“ These winds, coupled with the dry vegetation characteristic of the winter season, unfortunately, present a good environment for runaway fires.
What is currently being observed in the country is nothing for us to be proud of. Let us be more vigilant in ensuring that there is no cloud of smoke in our landscape,” he said.
The Prime Minister further said the Government continues to invest in emergency food aid and relief efforts. These measures, while crucial, present a temporary solution. The country needs a more sustainable solution.
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“ We, therefore, must address the underlying vulnerabilities with long-term, innovative strategies built on robust partnerships.
Only then can we get closer to achieving Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to climate action, zero hanger, and good health and well-being,” he said.
Worth mentioning is that the overall goal of the Green Indaba is to promote a culture of environmental and social sustainability as a part of efforts of the Government and private sector to promote climate-smart investments in Eswatini.
