Livestock Development Policy

The Livestock Development Policy is a national sectoral plan of Swaziland. Its main objective is to achieve an efficient and sustainable livestock industry which is capable of meeting the needs of its local and international markets, while at the same time ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of wealth to the producer, especially the rural Swazi farmer so that he/she is kept in gainful employment through production, supply and participation in the process industries.
To enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, the Policy seeks to raise the livestock quality and off-take levels of the Swazi producer, and in particular the rural farmer within sound range and soil conservation management practices aimed at meeting the national demand for animal-based proteins and improving the throughput of the processing plants from local supplies through the introduction of an integrated livestock extension programme with technically sound yet cost effective intensive production methods and animal health and range management extension practices that are implementable, measurable and able to be supervised from the grassroots levels to the top for prompt feedback; to facilitate livestock marketing through the establishment of appropriate marketing facilities, the collection, and dissemination of marketing information, the projection of market demands, and the regulation of imports and exports and the establishment of marketing groups and agents; to promote primary processing industries and participate where and when necessary through minimum shares to ensure their maturation and the eventual participation of producer groups through the purchase of the government shares; to commercialize livestock development through the introduction of a cost-recovery policy and the rational use of Government revenue in all matters of animal health and production; to ensure availability of tested and reliable information and technology to the producer, the Government and the industry and to develop suitable and cost-effective extension packages and methods of livestock product, resource and disease control management through research; to promote smallholder livestock enterprises, and a spirit of entrepreneurship through the training of producers, improved access to available lines of credit and the establishment of livestock development funds and revolving funds; to protect the consumer public from zoonotic diseases and ensure the access of Swaziland’s animal products into international markets by enforcing internationally acceptable meat hygiene standards and sanitary requirements in all abattoirs, slaughter houses and plants where animal products are processed or manufactured; to improve the national herd through selection and breeding, research, the protection of Swaziland’s indigenous gene pool and the application of internationally acceptable quality assurance measures for breeding eggs, semen, ova, embryos or tissues to prevent the spread of diseases; to promote the use of supplement feeding and the harnessing and utilization of all available feed resources and feed combinations based on research, and to protect the animal feed consumer from sub-standard feeds and dumping through the establishment and applications of minimum National Feeds Standards and Feeds Quality Assurance Service; to enforce compliance and ensure administrative efficiency and harmonization of established policies and regulations through the enactment of appropriate legislation and the consolidation of all existing legislation on livestock and livestock products under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives; to promote effective communication and transparency on policy between the farmers, the traders and the Government and to speed up the development and sustenance of the livestock industry from grassroots levels through the establishment of Communal Producer groups (Livestock Grazing and Feeding Farmers Groups) and traders groups which would create sub-regional and regional producers and traders’ groups to form national organizations for more collaborative effort and effective communication within and between the industry and government; to improve and strengthen disease control, surveillance and diagnostic efficiency and the delivery of animal health care services in order to enhance the quality and reproductive performance of livestock and to ensure risk analysis efficiency and the access of Swaziland’s animal products into international markets; and to develop and maintain a high level of range, pasture and soil conservation and management practices through technology transfer and the use of livestock group schemes based on community participation.