Swaziland's annual maize harvest this year was estimated at 84,670 tons, which is a 12 percent increase compared to production during the 2009/10 season. This is largely attributed to improved rainfall performance during the 2010/2011 season, although this was also characterized by dry spells. Results from the 2011 Swaziland vulnerability assessment indicate that around 220,420 people, about a fifth of the population, will experience food shortages in the lean season before the next harvest in May 2012.
The Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC) has estimated that 88,511 people face temporary food shortages as most did not realize good yields due to poor weather conditions and lack of farming inputs. Additionally, some 131,900 people are faced with chronic food insecurity or cash deficits as they lack the financial means to provide for themselves. Food insecurity in Swaziland is aggravated by three critical factors impacting on the ability of households to provide for their nutritional needs: HIV, unequal gender relations and deepening poverty levels.
Maize production in Swaziland has been declining steadily for the past decade. Up until 2000, Swaziland was routinely harvesting more than 100,000 tons of maize but, since then, the average has dropped to some 70,000 tons. Factors contributing to this decline include erratic weather, high fuel and input costs, the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS, and a decline in the use of improved agricultural practices and inputs.
The HIV prevalence rate is the highest in the world. Currently, 42 percent of pregnant women attending ante-natal care centres are HIV positive, while Swaziland’s first Demographic Health Survey (2007) indicates that 26 percent of the population aged between 15 and 49 years are HIV positive. The impact of HIV/AIDS has been particularly hard on Swazi children.There are more than 80,000 orphans in the country and children head 15 percent of total Swazi households.
According to the 2008 National Nutrition Survey, 40 percent of Swazi children below the age of 5 show signs of stunting, 7 percent are underweight and one percent is wasted. The mortality rate of children under 5 years of age is 167 per 1,000 live births, up 37 percent since 1997. Abject poverty combined with the high HIV prevalence rate contribute to Swaziland’s weak economic performance and also impact negatively on food security.
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