Experts urged producers to connect soil health, seed choice, water and nutrient management before investing in the next crop. Buying seed and fertiliser commits a farmer’s money before there is any certainty of a harvest. Experts stressed that whether that investment pays off depends partly on conditions beneath the surface and on how well the…

Experts linked balanced feeding, disease prevention and food safety to stronger poultry businesses—and challenged researchers to bring their findings closer to farmers. A cheaper bag of feed may seem like relief to a poultry farmer facing rising production costs. But if birds grow slowly, take longer to reach market weight or produce fewer eggs, the…

Agriculture experts linked animal nutrition, breeding, healthy rangelands, and financial records to a question that matters across rural Lesotho: Is livestock ownership delivering a sustainable return? A large herd can be a source of pride, but the number of animals a farmer owns does not, on its own, reveal whether the enterprise is productive, profitable…

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…

…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…

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…

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…

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 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 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…