Eswatini has reached a major milestone in its agricultural journey—celebrating six years of self-sufficiency in pork production as of April 2025.
The announcement came on Friday, April 11, when the Minister of Agriculture officially launched the Nucleus Farm, a new facility aimed at boosting pig breeding across the country. The farm is an extension of the Mpisi Farm Pig Breeding Centre and is expected to supply high-quality breeding stock to farmers nationwide.
Since April 2019, Eswatini has met its pork demand entirely through local production, cutting out the need for imports. The government sees the Nucleus Farm as a critical step in sustaining this success and growing the sector further.
The upgraded Mpisi Pig Breeding Station, which forms part of the first phase of the project, has expanded from 60 to 90 sows. It now has the capacity to produce 450 premium breeding gilts annually. An artificial insemination centre has also been established on-site, with an annual output of 2,250 semen doses to support local pig farmers.
During the launch, the Minister pointed to the natural advantages of pig farming, noting its fast reproduction cycle and early maturity. He encouraged players in the pork value chain to invest in agro-processing and value addition, with the aim of turning small-scale efforts into profitable commercial ventures.
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