New ReLiF Project Targets Climate-Smart Farming and Rural Livelihoods
A new three-year programme aimed at helping Basotho farmers adapt to climate change while improving…
The Silent Burden of Herd Boys
…For generations, they have protected the nation’s livestock in silence. But when given the chance to speak, Ha Seeiso’s herders revealed that the heaviest burden they carry is not always on their backs but in their minds. “People think herding is only about watching animals, but in reality it is a job that takes a…
New ReLiF Project Targets Climate-Smart Farming and Rural Livelihoods
A new three-year programme aimed at helping Basotho farmers adapt to climate change while improving food production and rural livelihoods has been launched, bringing fresh hope to communities increasingly affected by drought, land degradation and unpredictable rainfall. The Building Climate Resilient Livelihoods and Food Systems (ReLiF) project, launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security…
New App Brings Extension Officers Within Reach of Basotho Farmers
A new locally developed digital platform could transform the way Basotho farmers access agricultural advice by bringing extension officers just a click away. Developed by three Lerotholi Polytechnic students, Lemoha AI is designed to bridge the long-standing communication gap between farmers and extension officers by providing instant access to technical guidance, production support and market…
Beyond Stock Theft: Can The New Livestock Bill Transform the Future of Farming?
…As the government reviews the Livestock Identification and Theft Prevention Bill, farmers welcome stronger protection but question the practicality, affordability, and efficacy of the proposed system in delivering the sector’s much-needed transformation. By Thoboloko Ntšonyane & Topollo Tlali “If the government wants us to implant microchips in our livestock, who is going to pay?” Motsamai…
Dead Animals, Living Risks
As Lesotho grapples with a surge in livestock disease outbreaks, health experts are cautioning against the long-standing practice of consuming animals that die from unknown causes. This tradition, they warn, could expose communities to dangerous zoonotic diseases—illnesses transmissible from animals to humans. For generations, many Basotho have adhered to the proverb “Lebitla la khomo ke…
School Feeding Plan Targets 80% Local Food Procurement
The Government aims to source 80 per cent of food for the national school feeding programme from Basotho farmers within the next 18 months, as it moves to implement the National School Feeding Policy approved in 2024. During a stakeholder meeting held under the theme, Accelerating Home-Grown School Feeding Through Local Procurement, representatives from the…
Lumpy Skin Outbreak Leaves Lasting Lessons for Livestock Farmers
Six months after Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) swept through Lesotho’s cattle population, veterinary officials say the outbreak has largely been brought under control. For many livestock farmers, however, the economic and production losses continue to shape their recovery. The disease, first detected in January this year, spread rapidly across several districts, infecting more than 1,000…
China Reopens Wool and Mohair Market
China has approved the resumption of wool and mohair imports from Lesotho, paving the way for the country’s most valuable livestock export industry to resume trade after months of disruption caused by the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition Selibe Mochoboroane said the approval follows months of negotiations between the…
Six Months On, Lesotho Still Waits for FMD Vaccines
Six months after Lesotho confirmed its first case of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), the country is still waiting for vaccines, leaving hundreds of livestock farmers without what veterinary officials describe as one of the most important tools needed to contain the disease and protect recovering animals. Although surveillance, movement controls and public awareness campaigns have been…
Farmers Get Green Light to Import Breeding Livestock
Lesotho is gradually easing restrictions imposed after the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, with livestock farmers now permitted to import breeding rams and other live sheep from South Africa under strict veterinary conditions. This marks one of the first significant steps toward restoring livestock trade. Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Selibe Mochoboroane, announced that…
Nourishing families in Machache
The Tzu Chi has supplied the essential rice to the residents of Machache the distribution that aims to ease hardship and support families with reliabl food for the days ahead. Top of ForhhhBottom of Form The families have expressed delight over this gesture amid the ever rising cost of living. Tzu Chi volunteer Julie Chou…
Diagnosis Leads to Training
…Dairy Sector Partners Equip Farmers to Boost Milk Production Only weeks after dairy stakeholders concluded that Lesotho’s biggest challenge is not the absence of institutions but low on-farm productivity, farmer support organisations have begun taking that conversation directly to producers. At Maluti Maid’s premises in Ha Leqele on 19 June, dairy farmers from across the…
