Subsistence Farming in Eswatini

Vocabulary flashcards covering the concept, reality, and key statistics of subsistence farming in Eswatini based on Topic 1 notes.

Subsistence farmer (strict definition)

A farmer who produces adequate crops to feed and support their family, with no excess available for sale or barter.

Subsistence farming (in reality)

A farming practice where farmers produce food mainly for family support, but may exchange produce through sale or barter, grow cash crops, or engage in non-farming activities.

Swazi Nation Land (SNL)

Small plots of land in Eswatini where subsistence farmers mainly produce staple food for household use, characterized by very low productivity.

Cash crops in Eswatini subsistence farming

Crops such as cotton and sugar cane grown for sale by subsistence farmers to boost household income.

Off-farm employment

Work outside of farming, such as being a migrant labourer, undertaken by at least one member of a homestead to supplement household income.

Eswatini rural subsistence farming rate

About 60% of the rural population in Eswatini.

Eswatini rural food self-sufficiency rate

Only 40% of rural homesteads produce enough food to meet their needs.

Average land area per family on SNL

1 ha or less, supporting on average nine to eleven people.

Maize

The staple food crop in Eswatini accounting for over 70% of all crops grown, occupying 54 757 ha under cultivation.

Intercropped crops on SNL

Crops such as jugo beans, groundnuts, and potatoes grown together with other crops to increase food sources.