…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…

Lesotho is gradually easing restrictions imposed after the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, with livestock farmers now permitted to import breeding rams and other live sheep from South Africa under strict veterinary conditions. This marks one of the first significant steps toward restoring livestock trade. Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Selibe Mochoboroane, announced that…

…Dairy Sector Partners Equip Farmers to Boost Milk Production Only weeks after dairy stakeholders concluded that Lesotho’s biggest challenge is not the absence of institutions but low on-farm productivity, farmer support organisations have begun taking that conversation directly to producers. At Maluti Maid’s premises in Ha Leqele on 19 June, dairy farmers from across the…

By Seahlolo Reporter More than four decades after Lesotho embarked on an ambitious journey to build a self-sufficient dairy industry, the country still imports much of the milk and dairy products consumed by its people. The infrastructure exists. Processing plants have been established. Farmers have been trained. Development partners have invested millions of Maloti over…