NEWS
RDMU Christmas Party on 22 December 2009
23 December 2009
The RDMU held a Christmas Party for approximately 80 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in the Mpofu community, Hhohho region. The event was a great success. RDMU staff, looking resplendent and very visible in their Khaki shirts and cricket hats, prepared and served up a mouth watering braai to the feeding centre community, under the shade of a large fig tree.
Following the refreshments, Sibusiso Malaza, the RDMU Agronomist on behalf of the Organization presented the community with mealie-meal, beans and oil for its OVC feeding programme. He narrated how the they realized the severe plight of these children during one of their visits to Vukutimele Farmers’ Association and were touched. The event was a gesture of the Organization’s wish to contribute positively to the lives of the OVC and the general community.
Mr Pele Pele Shiba (Chairman of the Vutimele Farmers Association); Mr Simelane (a member of the Inner Council of the local Mhlangatane Inkundla) and Mr. Mamba (the Indvuna) spoke on behalf of the children and the community to thank the RDMU for its kind gesture. It was expressed that the challenge with the OVC in the area is quite serious and the community members use all that they have to mitigate the situation. The donation will go a long way in ensuring that the destitute children continue to have a meal from the feeding centre.
The food was then handed over to Mrs Khumalo, who runs the feeding programme for the OVC. The RDMU promised to continue its support into the future.
For more snaps see our gallery.
Declining Yields Workshop held at Ubombo on 11th December 2009
13 December 2009
A one day sugar sector wide workshop on managing declining yields in the Ubombo Country Club on the 11th December 2009 was organized in close cooperation with the Swaziland Sugar Association (SSA) and the Swaziland Cane Grower Association (SCGA) to draw lessons from the experience of other sugar industries in the world. It has been always an observation that the high cost of production weighed intensely against the small-holder growers who still pay for the development costs of their projects. Dr Alan Garside made a presentation on experiences and lessons learned with declining yields of sugar cane in Australia. The full presentation can be downloaded under Development_of_new_Sugarcane_Cropping_System_in_AUSTRALIA.
Nicolas Badenhorst and Johan Hattingh gave presentations on remote sensing and prevision farming in sugar cane fields in South Africa. The two presentations can be downloaded under Crop_Production_Modeling and Remote Sensing and GIS application in Precision Farming
Brian Robotham from Australia provided insights on cost-effective practices and quantitative analysis that might be considered for trash collection & separation for co-generation purposes for the Swazi local sugar industry. As it is well known, green harvesting trials have been undertaken by both the mill-groups in Swaziland to determine the cost-effectiveness of using cane trash for co-generation. Brian’s presentation shared experiences in this area which can allow the local industry to identify possible options that can be suited for the local situation. This presentation can be downloaded under Trash_Separation_for_Co-generation
The workshop ended with a presentation on clean development mechanisms and carbon credits by Daniel Blank with particular view to energy efficiency measures, co-generation and stakeholders operated combined heat and power generation plans based on sugar cane trash. Details of this presentation are under CDM_Intro_SZ
Swazi Cane Growers back from Study Tour to Malawi
11 November 2009
Seven cane growers representing the three planter groups headed by Peter Ginindza from the Swaziland Cane Growers Association came back from a study tour to Malawi. This study tour has been funded by the European Commission (EC) through the Restructuring and Diversification Management Unit (RDMU)
The Dwangwa Cane Growers Trust from Malawi has invited their counterparts from Swaziland for a study tour enabling the Swazi cane growers to broadening and deepening their knowledge of the sugar industry in Malawi with a view to show the experience Malawi cane growers have made in adapting to challenges posed by price cuts
The tour focused on three topics:
Fairtrade: Some Malawi small holder cane growers have established a Trust Fund to benefit from the premium market for Fairtrade. Swaziland is interested in entering the same market. This tour has illustrated Swazi growers how to set up and administer the Trust; distribute its benefits, manage the certification process; and how the marketing of Fairtrade certified sugar works.
Farm Management: Malawi small growers scheme adopted the Vuvulane Irrigated Farmers (VIF) model: individual smallholdings sharing a common irrigation infrastructure (block farming). This model has recently experienced some difficulties in Swaziland. The growers from Swaziland were given the opportunity to assess whether lessons can be learned to assist with the resolution of the on-going problems.
The Malawian experience with the EU Accompanying Measures: Malawi has also benefited from the Accompanying Measures funded by the European Commission. The Swazi growers could exchange experience with cane growers from Malawi how best to respond to the lower prices, in particular what sorts of actions work and how these can best be implemented.
On the occasion of a workshop jointly organized by the Swaziland Sugar Association (SSA) and the RDMU and funded by the EC mid of November 2009, the growers having participated at this study tour will be given the opportunity to give a feedback on the results of this tour to Malawi to their other colleagues in Swaziland.
Land development of EC supported farmer assocations has started
13 October 2009
On 10th October the RDMU, SHIP team, the European Commission and the PS of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development undertook a field trip to the Sibhotela Farmer Association in the LUSIP area. This farmer association is one of the farmer groups which will benefit from the EC support in the context of the sugar accompanying measures whereas up to 70 % of the total land development cost will be financed by the European Commission in form of a grant. Currently, 397 ha are being supported by the European Commission at LUSIP. Bush clearing has started and the irrigation equipment will be installed from mid November 2009 onwards. The contractor for the irrigation installation is Irricon from South Africa.
Final Design of Roads and Structures in the North has started
19 September 2009
On 17th September 2009, the contractor, the in Ireland based consulting company Nicolas O’Dwyer, has started undertaking the Final Design of the northern roads which will be funded in the current Multi-Annual Indicative programme (MIP 2007 -2010). Main focus of their works concentrate on the Dvokolwako Bridge in the close vicinity of the Mnjoli Dam and corresponding access / feeder roads (gravel) plus the rehabilitation of the Mananga – Sihoye Road (asphalt). Final Design is expected to be finalised in 5 – 6 months whereas the tender for the works might be launched at the end of the first half of 2010. Actual construction is expected to start in December 2010. The picture shows a first identification mission with the contractor, representatives of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Minsistry of Economic Planning and Development, the European Delegation in Swaziland and experts from the RDMU.
RDMU at SASTA 2009 Annual Conference in Durban
7 September 2009
On the occasion of the SASTA 2009, 82nd Annual Conference, our RDMU professional staff members, Mr Sibusiso Malaza and Mr David Myeni made a presentation on the Integration of Smallholder Cane Growers into competitive Sugar Cane Production. The full presentation can be downloaded under SASTA_presentation_Malaza_Myeni..
The Abstract of the presentation can be downloaded under Malaza_abstract
Breakfast meeting on Clean Development Mechanisms
25 July 2009
In order to sensitise and inform stakeholders on ministry level, the RDMU organised a breakfast meeting in the Mountain Inn whereby RDMU staff member Ms Khetsiwe Khumalo presented an introduction to Clean Development Mechanisms and Carbon Trade and its implications for Swaziland. The presentation can be downloaded under Introduction_to_CDM_24_07_2009
Final Design for New Siphofaneni Bridge and Rehabilitation of Siphofaneni-St Philips Road has started
24 July 2009
The European Commission and the South African based engineering company AURECON have signed end of June 2009 a contract to prepare the Final Design on the New Siphofaneni Bridge and the Rehabilitation of the Siphofaneni-St Philips Road plus some additional roads. The consulting company AURECON started on 01 July 2009 with the activities and will undertake a preliminary design, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and a final design on the proposed infrastructures. It can be expected that all design related issues will be finalised in March 2010.
Swazi Cane Growers visiting Akwandze Agricultural Finance
23 May 2009
On the occasion of the planning of the Ratoon Management Fund in Swaziland, grower representatives of the various mill groups and other stakeholders visited under the guidance of the RMF expert, Dr Richard Bates, the Akwandze Agricultural Finance in Mpumalanga which could be an ideal model for the establishment of the RMF for the NAS. The two presentations can be downloaded under Akwandze_ RMF_presentation_20_May_2009 and RMF_20_May_2009.
Financing Agreement for Transport Infrastructure within NAS / MIP signed (€ 18 million)
6 April 2009
On the occasion of the opening of the Lower Usuthu Smallholder Irrigation Project (LUSIP) on 27th March 2009, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development (MEPD), Mbuso Dlamini and the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Swaziland and Lesotho, Peter Beck Christiansen, signed the Financing Agreement of the Transport Infrastructure component in the support to the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS). This Financing Agreement foresses the construction of a new high level two-lane bridge (with pedestrian walkways) at Siphofaneni approximately 50 metres downstream from the existing structure. Moreover, the Siphofaneni to St Phillips Road and the road across Maphobeni Bridge to the Main road will be upgraded.
This road comprises three links:
- The 1.0 km section of the MR12 from the existing paved road (MR8) at Siphofaneni across the new bridge to the St Phillips Road junction.
- The 23.0 km from the MR12 junction to St Phillips (DR 50).
- The 7.7 km from the St Phillips Road junction at Emagushede across the Maphobeni Bridge back to the existing paved road, MR8.
The project will upgrade the roads to paved bitumen standards (chip seal bitumen surface).
Brochures on NAS and MIP now available
7 March 2009
The RDMU has developed two brochures on the Nataional Adaptation Strategy (NAS) and on the Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) in English and in Siswati.
The English version of the NAS brochure can be downloaded here and the brochure on the MIP here.
NAS Working Group and RDMU on Retreat
22 January 2009
On 19th and 20th of January, the NAS Working Group went on a retreat and spent two days at the Foresters Arms Hotel at Mhlambanyatsi. The purpose of this retreat was to do some collective brainstorming on the development of a logical framework for the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) and to start harmonizing the interventions of the NAS and the MIP (Multi Annual Indicative Programme). Moreover, the opportunity was taken to finetune and to agree upon the workplan for 2009. In total we had 20 participants from the MEPD, MoA, SWADE, the sugar industry represented by SSA, the millers and SCGA and the RDMU.
Malkerns Canal Farmers Meeting on proposed rehabilitation activities
19 December 2008
On Wednesday, 17th December the RDMU and the Malkerns Irrigation Company organised a meeting with Malkerns Canal Farmers and Users in which the findings of the longitudinal survey and the subsequent engineering assessment were presented and discussed. Given the budget, the RDMU recommendations are to repair the Flumes and gates, replace Flume 8 with a Siphon and to install a siphon to omit Usuthu Forest section. The indicative cost for these measures amount to approximately 24 million Emalangeni. The powerpoint / pdf presentation can be downloaded here.
Workshop on Kyoto Projects in Swaziland
26 September 2008
On the occasion of the Carbon / CDM and Energy Efficiency Team assignment, a stakeholder workshop was organised on 26 September 2008 in which the team introduced several possible projects that could enable Swaziland benefitting from carbon credits in the context of the Kyoto Protocol and Clean Development Mechanisms. Details for downloading are available here.
The UNDP Guidebook on CDM can be downloaded here
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