By Noxolo Dlamini

MATSAPHA – Six poultry farmers across Eswatini are celebrating the arrival of free day-old chicks this week, marking the culmination of an educational and empowerment initiative by Agribusiness Media in partnership with Elangeni Chicks and Farm Services. The chicks were awarded to winners of a recent webinar on broiler production, designed to equip farmers with skills to boost productivity and profitability in the country’s growing poultry sector.

The two-part virtual training, held earlier this month, drew scores of participants eager to learn best practices in broiler farming, including chick preparation, biosecurity protocols, feed optimization, and cost management. Winners were selected based on their engagement during the sessions, with prizes including 100 day old chicks each.

Winners Embrace New Opportunities
For Lungile Mamba, a layer hen farmer from Ezulwini near Mdzimba Mountain, the prize is a career milestone. “I’ve wanted to diversify into broiler production for years but lacked the resources,” said Mamba, who received her chicks on 17 February 2025. “Now I can balance both layer and broiler businesses. This support is life-changing.”

Bafana Nkambule, a poultry worker from Mpholi, Manzini, called the initiative a “double victory.” He credited the webinar with revolutionizing his family’s farming practices, while the chicks will enable him to launch his own independent enterprise. “The training taught us to track costs and prevent disease outbreaks. Now, these chicks let me build something for myself,” he said.

Partners Push for Sector Growth
The collaboration underscores efforts to strengthen Eswatini’s agricultural resilience. Poultry farming has surged in recent years as households and entrepreneurs seek affordable protein sources and income streams. However, high input costs and limited access to training remain barriers, particularly for rural farmers.

Dumsile Dlamini, a technical advisor at Elangeni Chicks, urged farmers to leverage digital tools to stay competitive. “Social media isn’t just for sharing memes—it’s a lifeline for updates on trainings, disease alerts, and market trends,” she said. “We’re committed to expanding these programmes, but farmers must actively engage to benefit.”

A Model for Future Collaboration
Agribusiness Media plans to replicate the webinar model in other agricultural sectors. “Knowledge is meaningless without resources to apply it,” said Sibusiso Mngadi, Agribusiness Media Editor. “This partnership shows how bridging that gap can unlock real progress.”

— Follow Agribusiness Media, Elangeni Chicks and Farm Services on Facebook and X for updates on future programs.