The purpose of this policy note is tocontribute to an understanding of the factors that combineto constrain the development of smallholder agriculture inSwaziland. It seeks to shed light on why, despite beingwell-endowed in land and water resources, and despite havinga climate that is generally favorable for the production ofcrops and livestock, Swaziland is obliged to importsubstantial amounts of food to feed the population. Also,why, in spite of the significant investments that have madein the agricultural sector and in spite of the extensivefarming experience of the 70 percent of the population thatlives off the land, smallholder farm productivity andproduction have been declining over time. Finally, thepolicy notes identify priority areas where strategicinterventions are needed to turn things around and getsmallholder agriculture going as a driver of growth andpoverty reduction. This note provides an overview ofsmallholder agriculture in Swaziland, identifes constraintsthat may be contributing to poor performance in thesmallholder sector, and evaluates technological options thatcould improve productivity of smallholder farmers. Inaddition, it summarizes the findings of a recent review ofpublic spending on agriculture, undertaken to identifytrends and patterns in agricultural spending over the lastfive years and to determine whether the government'sbudget allocations have been effective in supporting theintended development of smallholder agriculture. Afteraddressing these questions, the policy note points to entrypoints where future government interventions could help toreverse the current negative trends.
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