By Ncaba Ntshakala
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has expressed a keen interest in Eswatini’s sugar industry, highlighting its significance during a conversation with Prime Minister Russell Dlamini on Saturday evening.
The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Summit of African Union Heads of State and Government for the Post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development (CAADP).
The two leaders discussed various issues, with President Museveni emphasizing his passion for food sovereignty and the importance of value addition in Africa’s agricultural exports.
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Museveni noted that Africa’s tendency to export raw materials without processing them locally has limited the continent’s economic benefits.
The Prime Minister provided an overview of Eswatini’s thriving sugar industry, which has long been a pillar of the nation’s agricultural economy.
In response, Museveni expressed curiosity and enthusiasm for learning more about the sector’s successes and challenges.
The Prime Minister also shared Eswatini’s recent foray into coffee production, highlighting its potential despite being in its infancy.
The two leaders further shared concerns over the rise of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) across the continent, noting how unhealthy eating habits have exacerbated the issue.
Museveni and Dlamini agreed that Africa’s food systems need to prioritize both nutritional value and sustainability.
Prime Minister Dlamini was accompanied by Eswatini’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu, Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka, Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi and other officials.
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During the Summit, Dlamini delivered Eswatini’s statement, endorsing the new Kampala CAADP Declaration.
He called on the African Union to support member states in integrating the Declaration’s objectives into their national investment plans and mobilizing resources to achieve sustainable agricultural transformation.
“The six objectives of the Declaration will transform the agriculture and food industry landscape on the continent,” Dlamini said.
“This will unlock overall economic growth and prosperity for our people, thus ending hunger and poverty, which incidentally, is His Majesty’s commission to the current Government.
