Taiwan Today

Taiwan Technical Mission boosts self-reliance in the country’s African ally.

When Mahlalela Samaria started pig farming a decade ago in Eswatini, she had modest expectations. The former teacher initially relied on just a few sows purchased from neighboring farmers, but in 2017 officials from the country’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) visited her farm and offered assistance. The meeting connected her to the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Eswatini, which launched the Pig Industry Enhancement Project in 2016 in partnership with the MOA. “It was a major turning point for me,” she said. “Life has become better and better as my business thrives.”

Farmers like Samaria can buy high-grade sows and artificial insemination materials from TTM’s pig breeding station at reasonable prices. They also have access to regular classes on swine nutrition, disease prevention and assisted reproduction. Thanks to TTM’s guidance, Samaria’s sows now produce an average of 12 piglets per litter, compared with eight previously, and they mature faster. “Today I have pork to sell every month,” she said. “I can rest easy knowing I have a stable source of income.”

Lasting Change
Many pig farmers in Eswatini share similar success stories. They can now fully meet domestic demand for pork, alleviating the country’s former reliance on imports from South Africa. The project is one of many initiatives Taiwan has undertaken in Eswatini since the two countries signed an agricultural technical cooperation agreement in 1969, one year after they established formal diplomatic ties. Under the Taipei City-based International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), TTM has helped local farmers boost their capacity to raise high-quality crops, livestock and aquatic animals.

  “Our projects leverage Taiwan’s strengths to improve the livelihoods of Eswatini’s people,” said Yeh Chang-ching (葉常青), the mission’s head. “Because of our long-term presence, we can respond quickly to local needs.” Eswatini’s MOA supports TTM by establishing a network of local officials who collaborate with Taiwan experts and foster connections with farmers. “It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement,” ministry official Xolani Ndlangamandla said. “As liaison on the pig project, I get the opportunity to exchange opinions and learn from my collaborators.”

TTM ensures projects are sustainable by aligning them with Eswatini’s development goals. It also sets up dedicated funds for each endeavor with revenue generated by mission activities such as the sale of sows. This allows a project to continue receiving financial backing after TTM turns operations over to Eswatini’s government.

  Fruit Diversification
Another successful TTM initiative is the expansion of fruit cultivation in Eswatini. Among varieties introduced to commercial farming is pitaya. Though dragon fruit grows wild in the country, farmers had not considered it a viable crop until TTM began promoting it six years ago. Now it is widely sold in local supermarkets and exported to South Africa. “Dragon fruit can be harvested when main crops like maize and sugarcane aren’t in season, providing a good source of supplemental income,” farm manager Sibusiso Mahlalela said.

  While pitaya can easily be grown from cuttings, TTM employs more complex tissue culture techniques for crops like bananas to enable large-scale propagation. Started in 2021, the project is already capable of producing up to 200,000 seedlings annually. “Previously most banana seedlings were imported at great expense,” said TTM’s fruit cultivation project manager Lee Chih-cheng (李志成). “We’re helping the country become more self-reliant.”

Beyond Agriculture
TTM’s work in Eswatini is not limited to agriculture—it extends to a wide range of career development opportunities. With the signing of a technical cooperation agreement on handicrafts, the National Handicraft Training Centre was established in 1973. It initially specialized in wood and stone sculpture courses but has since expanded to include computer and sewing skills, among others. “Taiwan has played a crucial role in vocational training,” said center head Makhosonke Gama, who trained in electrical repair and plumbing there in 2009.

One of the mission’s latest goals is to empower women with entrepreneurial skills. Its Women’s Microenterprise Mentoring and Capacity Building Project, launched last year, offers classes in business management, marketing and bookkeeping. Taiwan also created a US$1 million fund from which women can borrow at low interest rates to start businesses. The initiative not only improves women’s status in society but is expected to significantly boost the country’s economy. According to official data, about half of Eswatini’s GDP is generated by microenterprises, most of which are run by women.

  The project has already benefited hundreds, including Bonisile Nkambule. The 60-year-old combined her newfound business knowledge with strawberry cultivation strategies that she learned through TTM’s fruit growing project to start producing and selling jam. “In the past, I struggled to make ends meet, but now I’m moving out of poverty,” she said. The training sessions have been so effective that the United States Agency for International Development is now partnering with TTM. “It’s encouraging to see TTM’s increasingly large impact,” Yeh said. “We’re setting people on the path to a better and more self-sufficient tomorrow.”
 

Write to Oscar Chung at mhchung@mofa.gov.tw