Farm Chemicals Sales and Marketing Manager Kenny Du Pont during the staff training session at Mega Mica.
BY: SIBUSISIWE NDZIMANDZE | JOURNALIST
MATSAPHA – Production losses often begin quietly on the farm: livestock losing condition as winter veld loses its nutritive value, vegetables coming under pest pressure before symptoms show, or fruit trees yielding blemished produce that fails to meet market grade.
To help farmers stay ahead of these challenges, Mega Mica is expanding its farm product range through a new partnership with Farm Chemicals, bringing agro-inputs closer to producers. The expanded range includes winter lick, livestock supplements, crop protection products, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, organic fertilizers, foliar feeds, knapsack sprayers, electric sprayers and fertilizer applicators.
The partnership was marked by a product training session at Mega Mica's Matsapha Lifestyle Centre branch on Friday 29 May 2026, aimed at strengthening technical product knowledge among retail staff as the retailer broadens its agricultural offering to better serve the farming community.
Farm Chemicals is a Malkerns-based agricultural input supplier that has served Eswatini's farming sector since 1963, providing fertilizers, crop protection products, animal health solutions, livestock supplements and other inputs. Mega Mica, a leading hardware and home improvement retailer at Matsapha Lifestyle Centre, is strengthening its agricultural product range to give farmers greater access to inputs, equipment and technical support.
Farm Chemicals Sales and Marketing Manager Kenny Du Pont said the initiative is part of efforts to improve farmer access to agricultural inputs through retail outlets, while ensuring producers receive guidance on correct product selection and application.
"This is an agro-training session. It is all about introducing our products, educating farmers and encouraging farmers to get their products through retail stores. We feel this is one of the ways we can get closer to farmers, because many of them do not always know how to apply or use certain products correctly," said Du Pont.
One of Farm Chemicals Agricultural inputs, winter lick available at Mega Mica.
He said successful farming depends not only on access to inputs, but also on understanding the correct dosage, timing, application methods and safety requirements associated with each product.
The training covered a broad range of products for livestock production, horticulture, fruit production and household gardening, including veterinary products, livestock supplements, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, organic and foliar fertilizers, fertilizer applicators, knapsack sprayers and electric sprayers. Du Pont said the products cater for cattle, goat, poultry and sheep farmers, as well as vegetable growers, orchard farmers and small-scale garden producers.
He said livestock producers should pay particular attention to winter supplementation, as dry winter grazing often contains low levels of crude protein, energy and essential minerals.
"As veld conditions deteriorate during winter, livestock often require supplementation. Products such as winter lick help supply essential nutrients and minerals that support body condition and productivity during the dry season," he said.
Farm Chemicals Safety Officer Phila Mabaso encouraged crop farmers to adopt preventative crop protection programmes rather than waiting for pest and disease damage to reach economic threshold levels. He said vegetable and fruit farmers should regularly scout their fields and orchards for signs of pest infestation, fungal infection, leaf spots, fruit fly damage, nutrient deficiencies and crop stress.
"Plants need protection just as people do. If pests and diseases are not controlled early, farmers can lose both yield and quality," said Mabaso.
He highlighted Cosamil as one of the crop protection products available to farmers, advising producers to select pesticides and fungicides according to crop type, pest pressure and label recommendations.
Farm Chemicals Safety Officer Phila Mabaso sharing insights about the agricultural inputs.
Mabaso said fruit producers should pay close attention during flowering, fruit set and fruit development, as inadequate pest control at these stages can affect yield, fruit appearance and marketability. Farmers producing crops such as pawpaw and peaches, he added, should prioritise orchard management practices that reduce blemishes and improve fruit quality.
"Consumers and buyers are looking for clean, healthy and blemish-free fruits. Proper pest management helps farmers achieve that standard," he said.
Mabaso further advised farmers to follow recommended spray intervals, observe pre-harvest intervals, use correct dilution rates and practise safe handling of agrochemicals. He also stressed the importance of plant nutrition, saying foliar feeds and plant boosters can improve nutrient uptake, support vegetative growth and aid crop recovery where plants show signs of poor growth or stress.
Mega Mica Outdoor Supervisor Khulekile Simelane said the training marks an important step as the retailer expands its agricultural offering through the partnership with Farm Chemicals. She said staff are being introduced to the Farm Chemicals product range so they can gradually build the technical knowledge needed to assist farmers with crop, livestock and garden solutions.
"This training is helping us learn more about these agricultural products so that when farmers come to the hardware, we can guide them towards the right products," said Simelane.
She encouraged farmers to visit Mega Mica for agricultural inputs, saying the store is committed to making a wider range of farming products more accessible to producers.
Farm Chemicals agricultural products available at Mega Mica.
Du Pont said Farm Chemicals hopes more agro-dealers and retailers will invest in product training so that farmers receive better technical support at the point of sale.
"We are excited about this partnership because Mega Mica wants to grow its presence in the agricultural sector. We hope more agro-dealers will come on board and invest in training so that farmers receive better advice and support wherever they purchase their products," he said.
The session reinforced a clear message: successful farming depends on proper diagnosis, correct product selection, timely application, safe chemical handling and sound agronomic practice. For producers, productivity and profitability are best protected when livestock nutrition, crop protection, pest management and plant nutrition are addressed before losses occur.
