Quality Clips Drive Wool Price Surge As China Reopens Market Channels
The South African wool market recorded stronger prices during the 29th auction of the 2025/26…
Lesotho Poultry Sector Take Shape
By Seahlolo Reporters A year after concerns about industry collapse, Lesotho’s poultry sector is showing renewal following the launch of the Poultry Development Policy and the Lesotho Poultry Industry Association (LePIA), signalling a new direction for the sector. For years, poultry farmers struggled with high feed costs, poor infrastructure, limited financing, weak government coordination, and…
Quality Clips Drive Wool Price Surge As China Reopens Market Channels
The South African wool market recorded stronger prices during the 29th auction of the 2025/26 season held on 22 April 2026, supported by increased demand for high-quality clips and improved buying activity following developments in key export markets. According to the BKB isiXhosa and Lesotho Wool Market Report for CAT29, the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)…
LePIA: A New Voice Driving the Future of Lesotho’s Poultry Industry
Building a Stronger, More Resilient and Inclusive Poultry Sector for National Growth Lesotho’s poultry sector is entering a new phase with the official establishment of the Lesotho Poultry Industry Association (LePIA), a national body formed to strengthen local production, enhance sector coordination, and advance food security and economic development. The association was launched at a…
The Missing Link Between Agricultural Policy and Food Security
Agriculture is often called Lesotho’s economic backbone and key to food security, with successive governments having declared it a priority, recognising its potential to create jobs, reduce poverty, empower rural communities, and lower food import dependence. Yet despite years of policy promises, strategic plans, donor-funded programmes, and public commitments, food security remains one of Lesotho’s…
India Urges Lesotho to Reposition Agriculture for Investment and Climate Resilience
India has urged the country to reposition its agricultural sector to attract investment, strengthen climate resilience and unlock value-chain development opportunities. The call came ahead of the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), which brought together African leaders, ministers, investors and policymakers in New Delhi from May 28 to 31. Speaking ahead of the summit, the Indian…
Crop Insurance Emerging as Risk Tool for Smallholder Farmers in Lesotho
Rising climate-related crop losses are pushing smallholder farmers in Lesotho to seek crop insurance to manage growing agricultural risks. Government and development partner initiatives, through the Smallholder Agriculture Development Project II (SADP II), are supporting efforts to improve resilience in the agricultural sector, and crop insurance is among the mechanisms under discussion to help farmers…
Plant Clinic, A Grassroots Innovation for Farming Resilience
A new approach in Lesotho’s agriculture is tackling a long-standing problem: the gap between finding plant diseases and treating them effectively and leading this change is Tšepo Masa, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Crop Science. Masa started a plant clinic to improve plant health checks, make pest control more available, and support farmers…
Plant Clinic, A Grassroots Innovation for Farming Resilience
A new approach in Lesotho’s agriculture is tackling a long-standing problem: the gap between finding plant diseases and treating them effectively and leading this change is Tšepo Masa, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Crop Science. Masa started a plant clinic to improve plant health checks, make pest control more available, and support farmers…
From a Backyard Chicken Shack to the Global Farmers Table
Alida Matsa, a poultry farmer from Ha Mptipa, Kolonyama in the Leribe district, has emerged as one of Lesotho’s rising agricultural voices at the prestigious Global Farmer Network (GFN) Roundtable. Her journey, from raising chickens in a small backyard shack in Leribe to participating in the prestigious Global Farmer Network (GFN) Roundtable and Training Programme…
Lesotho’s Youth Bet on Innovation to Solve Agriculture and Climate Challenges
Innovation is increasingly becoming one of Lesotho’s most urgent survival tools as young entrepreneurs race to develop homegrown solutions to food insecurity, climate change, unemployment and digital exclusion. At the Lesotho Innovation Challenge 2026, that reality came sharply into focus as 22 young innovators pitched practical ideas to reshape the country’s future through technology, agriculture,…
From Poultry Setback to African Agribusiness Inspiration: The Rise of Tawonga Nyirenda
For many people and even farmers, failure often marks the end of a dream, but for Malawian agripreneur Tawonga Nyirenda, failure became the beginning of a purpose that is now transforming how farmers think about waste, livestock feed and sustainable agriculture across Africa. Today, Nyirenda is the founder of SeedBiz, an agricultural enterprise using Black…
Lesotho Pushes Potato Sector Expansion Amid Rising Demand and Import Dependence
Lesotho marked International Potato Day on 29 May 2026, calling for expanded local production and reduced reliance on imports as demand for potatoes continues to exceed domestic supply. The commemoration, held at Avani Lesotho, brought together farmers, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders under the theme “Where potatoes grow, livelihoods flourish.” Discussions focused on production constraints, value…
LHDA Turns Displacement into Opportunity with Mokhotlong Innovation Hub Push
By Seabata Mahao The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) is intensifying efforts to turn infrastructure-driven disruption into long-term economic opportunity, rolling out a series of livelihood programmes in Mokhotlong anchored by the Ha-Ramonakalali Innovation Hub under the Phase II Polihali Dam project. At the centre of this approach is a deliberate shift: moving affected communities…
