By Ayanda Dlamini
His Majesty Mswati III has expressed deep concern over the resurgence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), warning that the outbreak poses a serious setback to the country’s agricultural ambitions and food self-sufficiency goals.
Speaking during the State Opening of the 3rd Session of the 12th Parliament, the King said that although FMD is not new to the Kingdom and had been successfully contained in the past, its return signals a failure to apply lessons learned.
He stressed that this recurrence must now serve as a decisive turning point in establishing lasting solutions to prevent future outbreaks.
The King noted that despite efforts to cordon off affected regions, the disease still spread into other areas, underscoring that existing precautionary measures were insufficient.
He called for intensified education and awareness campaigns to ensure that citizens take all necessary steps to curb the spread. He assured the nation that the government will do everything necessary to eliminate the disease and will explore additional sources to procure vaccines to accelerate containment efforts.
Beyond the FMD outbreak, the King reflected on progress in the agricultural sector over the past four decades, noting that the country should ideally have achieved food self-sufficiency by now.
While welcoming the rains essential for farming, he acknowledged that recent heavy rainfall has destroyed crops in some areas, thereby affecting livelihoods.
He expressed sympathy for affected communities and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing support and expanding climate resilience and preparedness programs to assist those vulnerable to droughts, floods, and other climate-related risks.
His Majesty emphasized that agriculture requires reliable markets capable of generating tangible revenue for the country, and added that the government will continue subsidizing subsistence farmers to enhance national food security.
On water security, the King highlighted progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6, noting that 75 percent of the population now has access to clean water. He urged continued collaboration with development partners to achieve universal access to clean water by 2030.