News
Farmers, Banks, and SADP II Confront Challenges in the Matching Grants Programme
Farmers, bankers, and project officials convened in Mohale’s Hoek for an open discussion on the implementation of the Smallholder Agricultural Development Project Phase II (SADP II) Matching Grants Programme, tackling long-standing challenges that have hindered progress and delayed benefits for beneficiaries. The two-day meeting, organised by SADP II, aimed to identify operational bottlenecks in the…
SMARTD Celebrates World Wetlands Day
The vital ecosystem was at the centre of the 2026 Wetlands Day celebration held in Ha Tlhaku, Quthing district, on February 12, 2025. Hosted by the Southern Mountain Association for Rural Transformation and Development (SMARTD), this year’s theme was “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage.” The importance of wetlands as essential ecosystems providing clean…
BREAKING| Increase in Foot and Mouth Disease Cases
Director General veterinary services Dr Lepheane has confirmed new cases of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in five districts of Lesotho, raising concern among livestock farmers. The outbreaks have been recorded in Letseng (21), Mahlasela(6), Matsoku (4), Vuka-Mosotho(4), Ha Mokhothu(3) and Letlapeng (2), affecting districts including Butha-Buthe District, Mokhotlong District, Leribe District, Berea District and…
Her Majesty Elevates Farmers and Producers at National Market Day
Her Majesty Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso shone a spotlight on farmers and producers at the third National Market Day, engaging directly with exhibitors and underscoring the significance of local production for the country’s food security. Hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition through the Smallholder Agricultural Development Project (SADP), the event took…
Mofosi Remains Hopeful for Resilience Despite Budget Cut
Despite a reduction in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition’s budget allocation for the upcoming financial year, Minister Thabo Mofosi insists the sector can still weather the storm. The Ministry has been allocated M1.1 billion for the 2026/2027 financial year, down from M1.3 billion in the previous financial year. The cut has raised…
35 Quthing Young Farmers Receive Chickens to Boost Poultry Production
Thirty-five young farmers in Quthing have received broiler chickens as part of a government-supported initiative aimed at enhancing youth participation in agriculture and addressing unemployment. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, through the Smallholder Agriculture Development Project (SADP II), distributed 200 broiler chickens and 14 bags of feed to each beneficiary. This initiative…
SADP II Pushes Food Processing to Unlock Rural Incomes
Rows of neatly packaged jams, dried vegetables, chilli sauces, and bottled juices were displayed on tables as farmers from the Ha Ntsi Resource Centre in Nazareth gathered to trade and learn how to transform surplus produce into sustainable income. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, through the Smallholder Agriculture Development Project II (SADP II)…
New Laws to Combat Agricultural Smuggling
Thabo Mofosi, the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Nutrition, has introduced stringent new regulations aimed at combating agricultural smuggling. These regulations are designed to enhance controls, strengthen enforcement, and impose harsher penalties on offenders. The Agricultural Marketing (Products Control and Subsidies Input Protection) Regulations 2026 were presented to Parliament this week and will take…
BREAKING| Livestock Movement And Activities Banned Amid Foot and Mouth Outbreak
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security through the Livestock Department has banned all animal gatherings, livestock markets, shows, auctions, and informal trading following reported cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the districts of Botha Bothe, Mahlasela cattle post and Qacha ‘s Nek, Letlapeng. The Ministry said it will only allow essential activities, which will…
“I watched them die”
…Ministry’s Delay Buries Farmers’ Cattle Dreams …Lumpy Skin cases increase to over 1000 Lesotho’s farming communities are engulfed in panic and sorrow as lumpy skin disease ravages cattle herds, leading to economic ruin and emotional trauma. Farmers across various districts report that the outbreak has revealed significant delays in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security…
Over 1,000 Cattle Infected as Vaccine Delays Hamper Lumpy Skin Disease Response
More than 1,000 cattle have been infected, and 63 have died as Lumpy Skin Disease spreads nationwide, with the government confirming delays in securing vaccines during the peak of the outbreak. Addressing the media at the Ministry’s headquarters on 12 February 2026, Minister of Agriculture, Thabo Mofosi, revealed that 1,061 cattle have so far been…
Lesotho Confirms Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak Amid Regional Crisis
Lesotho has officially confirmed an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in the northern part of the country, placing the livestock sector on high alert as the government simultaneously combat Lumpy Skin Disease. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, through the Department of Livestock, announced that the outbreak was reported on 18 February after…