Project Name：Fruit Tree Production and Marketing Project (Phase II)

Project status：Completed projects

Cooperating Country：Africa, Kingdom of Eswatini

Project Description：

In accordance with the development policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan Technical Mission in the Kingdom of Eswatini (Mission) had executed the Fruit Tree Production and Marketing Project (FTPMP I) from year 2016 to 2019. The project had firstly brought in the concept of “industry chain development” and had achieved the goal to increase income per-hectare of 40 percent (as compared to sugar cane) among farmers’ organizations receiving guidance through the project. The project was focused on building the confidence and ability of fruit tree cultivation for the farmer companies. FTPMP I imported mass banana seedlings from a neighbouring country instead of propagating seedlings alone due to the fact that, except seed potato production, the country did not have the   capability in mass propagation for other economic crops seedlings. Besides, the transportation and marketing, which are the downstream of an industry chain, require further promotion for better post-harvest operation systems and sales channels. Hence, the target of the second phase of Fruit Tree Production and Marketing Project (FTPMP II) is to reinforce the seedling propagation in the upstream and the marketing in the downstream for high value fruits that have potential for exportation. The project is able to connect with the optimized cultivation system and the preliminary model of transportation and marketing which were built in FTPMP I so to promote an entire industry chain and eventually create a new agricultural development pattern.

The main targets include: 1. to build a healthy seedling production system for banana and other high value crops that have potential in the country, achieve the capacity in producing 100,000 banana tissue culture seedlings in Malkerns Research Station (MRS) annually; 2. to produce 30,000 pitaya and 6,000 guava seedlings in Matsapha farm within four years; 3. to promote high value fruit tree cultivation and achieve 165 ha banana, 10 ha guava, 5 ha pitaya and at least 2 ha emerging crops within four years; 4. to enhance post-harvest handling techniques; 5. to build the sales channel for the fruits.

Implementation Start Date：2020-01-01

Implementation End Date：2023-12-31

Project Objectives：

To optimize particular high value fruit industry chains, achieve 40% net-income increase per-hectare as compared to sugar cane (of year 2019) among the guided farmer’s organizations.

Executing Agency：

Taiwan Technical Mission in the Kingdom of Eswatini / Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) / Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (ESWADE) / Eswatini National Agriculture Marketing Board (NAMBOARD), Lusuthu ne Lubovane Luyasondla (LnL)

Project Contact：Wang,Yen-Chih

Phone：+886-2-2888-6054

E-mail：y.j.wang@icdf.org.tw