News
“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…
𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 | Ministry Confirms Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak, Imposes Quarantine in Botha-Bothe
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, through its Department of Livestock Services, has confirmed an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) at Mahlase cattle post in Botha-Bothe. Six cattle tested positive after seventeen animals were sampled from the affected herd. The Department of Livestock Services has placed the affected cattle post and its neighbouring kraals…
Mojaki is Engineering Lesotho’s Soil Revolt Moving From Geospatial Data to Earthworms
MASERU- Seth Mojaki, a former lecturer at the Lesotho Agricultural College, has traded his geospatial maps for a microscope and a shovel, pivoting from a career in high-tech environmental monitoring to the ancient biological science of vermiculture. He is navigating solutions to Lesotho’s pressing challenge of soil degradation, which threatens agricultural productivity. Mojaki’s journey began not…
40 More Young Farmers Receives Inputs to Boost Food Production
MASERU – In a decisive effort to combat youth unemployment and enhance farming productivity, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has provided agricultural inputs to 40 more young Basotho farmers through the Smallholder Agriculture Development Project II (SADP II) at the Agricultural District Office in Maseru. With the first group receiving inputs in November,…
Northern Agri Hub Meets Berea Farmers to Enhance Product Quality for Market
Berea farmers gathered at the Teya-Teyaneng Resource Centre for a consultative meeting with the Northern Agricultural Hub to improve production quality and increase market access. The discussion centred on guiding farmers through the entire agricultural value chain, from production to post-harvest handling and marketing. The Northern Agricultural Hub is a government-established facility designed to aggregate,…
Jean Maurice Association’s Successful Journey Celebrated
QACHA’S NEK – Songs, ululations and vibrant colours filled the Sacred Heart Convent church yard at Ha Sekake in Romeng, Qacha’s Nek. Jean Maurice Association—also known as Barali ba Lerato la Pelo e Tlotlehang ea Jesu—celebrated the completion of their Smallholder Agriculture Development Project Phase II (SADP II) support. Community members, partners, and officials gathered…
𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐫𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐨 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬
By Staff Reporter The Farmers Pitso Awards enter a new chapter following the conclusion of a three-year agreement (2026–2028) that places the ownership and management of the awards under Newsday Media, with Seahlolo Newspaper assuming responsibility for organising and growing the platform. This development follows consultations between the founding team of the Farmers Pitso Awards…
Reclaiming Lesotho’s Status as the Region’s Food Basket
By Seabata Mahao MASERU – As Lesotho prepares for upcoming Public–Private Dialogue (PPD) sessions in 2026, a renewed ambition is taking shape, “Restoring the Mountain Kingdom’s historic position as a leading agricultural exporter in Southern Africa”. The vision was forcefully articulated by Chaba Mokuku, Managing Director of the Competitiveness and Financial Inclusion (CAFI) Project, who…
Feed Prices Stabilise After Mid-2025 Dip, but Structural Pressures Persist for Lesotho’s Livestock Farmers
Animal feed prices, which account for the largest share of production costs in Lesotho’s livestock sector, began to stabilise and modestly decline around June 2025, providing short-term relief to poultry, piggery and dairy farmers who had faced prolonged cost pressures. Throughout much of 2024 and early 2025, rising feed prices eroded profit margins, compelling many…
Juncao Mushrooms, A Potential Export to China
MASERU – Lesotho is set for export growth under the New Chinese Trade Policy, according to the Chinese Ambassador to Lesotho, Yang Xiaokun. This arrangement, the Ambassador said, opens doors for local farmers to export homegrown goods to the People’s Republic of China, potentially boosting the country’s economy and creating jobs. He explained that the…