News
Shifting Tastes: How Consumer Choices Are Fueling Lesotho’s High-Value Crop Revolution
A quiet agricultural revolution is taking shape in Lesotho’s agriculture landscape. The once-unfamiliar hues of purple cabbage, dark green baby marrow, and fresh cucumbers have now become everyday favourites on vendor stalls. These are no ordinary vegetables—they represent a growing category known as high-value crops, and their increasing popularity is being driven by changing consumer…
Tsikoane Market Centre Underused and Overlooked
Despite its promise to boost local trade and farmer incomes, the Tsikoane Market Centre in Leribe stands as a stark symbol of exclusion and underutilisation, leaving many in the community disillusioned. Member of Parliament for Tsikoane, Malefetsane Mabote, raised urgent concerns about the facility’s failure to serve the broader population. He questioned both the limited…
The Life and Legacy of a Woman Farmer
Eighty-one-year-old Mamakhaola Peete rises before dawn each day to tend to her livestock and work her land, a routine she has followed since she married into the Peete family more than sixty years ago. Her weathered hands, steady and skilled, tell the story of a lifetime of dedication to farming and the land that sustains…
Branding Breakdown Fuels Stock Theft
…865 stolen in April alone By Ntsoaki Motaung and Relebohile Makhetha The country’s rural economy is bleeding as stock theft surges, leaving farmers devastated and communities at risk. At the heart of this growing crisis lies a broken livestock identification system marked by equipment shortages, low coverage, and slow service delivery. In April 2025 alone,…
The Critical Role of Modern Irrigation in Lesotho’s Farming Future
For Mamatebele Kotoane of Ha Mohatlane, Berea, farming began as a necessity, but has since evolved into a powerful story of resilience, innovation and transformation. “I started farming in 2005 with nothing but watering cans. I used to fetch water from the village dam, walking back and forth many times a day just to keep…
Young Farmers Raise Alarm Over Market Gaps and Production Challenges
At the recent and the inability to meet growing consumer demand due to production constraints. The event, which featured a vibrant showcase of local agricultural products, doubled as a critical platform for young producers to voice the realities stalling their progress. Itumeleng Moleko from Atlehang Foods explained how demand often outpaces their ability to supply….
A Young Wool Tycoon Weaves His Future with Ram Breeding
At just 32, Nkopane Nkopane stands as one of Lesotho’s most promising wool producers—a young man who turned a family tradition into a thriving legacy. Raised in the hills of Hloahloeng, Mohale’s Hoek, Nkopane’s story is a testament to the power of purpose, inheritance, and passion-driven work. When many of his peers were drifting into…
Accounting by Day, Farming by Dawn: Lesotho’s Dual Vision
By Relebohile Makhetha Born the only son among daughters in the humble village of Khokhotsaneng, nestled in the St. Michael’s Roma area, Ntaote Ntaote’s journey began in the fields. Life in the village demanded more than just presence—it demanded grit. Herding livestock, ploughing the land, and harvesting crops weren’t occasional chores—they were a rhythm of…
Stakeholders Trained on Food Balance Sheet to Support Evidence-Based Food and Nutrition Policies
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently held a two-weeks training in Maseru aimed at capacitating the Bureau of Statistics (BoS) on compiling and analysing the national Food Balance Sheet (FBS)—a critical statistical framework that captures the total volume of agricultural commodities produced across all sectors. This inaugural training workshop, funded by the FAO and…
The National Dairy Board Prepares for Batch 10, Aims to Expand Dairy Impact
By Relebohile Makhetha The Lesotho National Dairy Board (LNDB) is gearing up to launch its tenth batch of dairy cow acquisitions in 2025—marking a major milestone in its long-standing mission to transform dairy farming in the country. Since 2017, the LNDB has supported local farmers in accessing quality dairy breeds, helping to improve milk production…
Mzansi Young Farmers Indaba: A Homegrown Movement for Inclusive Agriculture
Now in its fourth year, the Mzansi Young Farmers Indaba has grown into more than just an annual event—it’s a living, breathing movement that speaks to the heart of South Africa’s agricultural future. What began as a modest gathering organised in just one month by Food For Mzansi, has evolved into a powerhouse platform for…