‘Mathatisi Sebusi
AGRIC minister Thabo Mofosi, is content with the crop quality produced by rural communities this year, expressing optimism about bountiful harvests in the upcoming season.
Mr Mofosi says that the healthy crops demonstrate Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s government’s commitment to empowering rural communities and helping them achieve food security.
He made the remarks while speaking to the Sunday Express on the sidelines of the recent 2025-2026 budget presentation at the National Assembly.
Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Dr Rets’elisitsoe Matlanyane, presented her estimates before a joint sitting of the two houses of Lesotho’s bicameral parliament, the Senate and National Assembly on the 19th of February.
Mr Mofosi was upbeat as he spoke to this publication, noting that this year’s harvest was expected to surpass that of 2024, as most rural farmers were now able to produce enough food for both consumption and commercial purposes.
He attributed this success to the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, in ensuring rural farmers received seeds and fertilizers on time.
“Hunger is a thing of the past in rural areas,” Mr Mofosi explained.
“Many farmers who produced nothing last year will, this year, harvest enough food for their families and for commercial purposes. This happened because we provided them with climate-smart seeds and manure early.”
Looking ahead, Mr Mofosi shared that in the 2025/2026 fiscal year, his ministry would begin collecting nationwide data on all farmers. This exercise, he said, would allow the government to establish the number of active farmers and their specific needs, which would in turn help empower them more effectively.
“This will help when we want to empower farmers. We will be able to determine how many people we are supporting and how much food they can produce. It is not right that we do not have data on farmers in the country,” Mr Mofosi said.
Furthermore, Mr Mofosi noted that in the coming financial years, the ministry aimed to empower both rural and urban farmers, building their capacity to become more self-sufficient and even enabling them to export food.
Leeto Nqetho, a farmer from Thaba Tseka Lesobeng, echoed the sentiments expressed by Mr Mofosi.
Unlike in 2023, when early rains prevented them from planting, Mr Nqetho and they were able to plant on time during the 2024 summer cropping season between September and mid-December.
They now look forward to a successful harvest, having grown maize, various green leafy vegetables, butternut, and beans – enough for both consumption and commercial purposes.
“Unlike last year, I will be able to send my children back to school. They had to stay home the entire year because I couldn’t afford the school fees due to the poor harvest. But now, thanks to this year’s good crop, I am happy they will finally be able to return to school,” Mr Nqetho said.
Mr Nqetho explained that while they used seeds and fertilisers supplied by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, they also relied on organic manure from their own kraals.
For the 2025/2026 financial year, the Ministry has been allocated M1.3 billion to ensure food security nationwide.
Meanwhile, in her speech Dr Matlanyane emphasized that the 2025-2026 budget was crucial for food security, rural development, and economic growth.
To enhance support for farmers, the government planned to establish the Lesotho Integrated Agriculture Information Management System (LIAMIS). This would create a digitized database to facilitate targeted subsidies and agricultural insurance.
She explained that to enhance farmers’ support, the government recognized the need for reliable data to inform decision-making.
“To this end, the government intends to establish the Lesotho Integrated Agriculture Information Management System (LIAMIS), through which farmers will be profiled accordingly. This system will provide a robust tool for offering smart subsidies on agricultural inputs via e-vouchers and agricultural insurance using a well-informed, digitized farmers’ database,” she noted.
In response to climate change impacts, Dr Matlanyane said, the government would implement two large irrigation schemes – one covering 250 hectares in Tsikoane in Leribe district and another 200 hectares in Seaka, Quthing.
Furthermore, she said, through the Building Climate Resilience Livelihoods and Food Systems Project, the government would work on efficient land and water resources management in Setanteng, Hlotse, Seaka, and Maletsunyane sub-catchments.
However, the latest IPC Acute Food Insecurity Analysis indicates that 335,000 rural Basotho (22% of the rural population) are still facing Crisis levels of food insecurity. The analysis recommends continued and expanded humanitarian assistance, as well as government efforts to subsidize food and improve nutrition education.
It also proposed that the government improve access to food by “subsidising food with an effort to reduce food consumption gaps.”
“……intensify nutrition education with more emphasis on feeding practices, exclusive breastfeeding and recommended duration of breastfeeding,” recommended the analysis.
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