…46.3 million people across SADC to face food insecurity Just over a month after Lesotho was removed from the list of countries identified as food insecurity hotspots by global agencies, a new regional assessment has revealed a concerning and contradictory reality: hunger in Southern Africa is worsening, and Lesotho remains far from immune. According to…
Lesotho faces a staggering financial burden of over US$2.5 billion to deal with the harsh effects of climate change—a cost the country simply cannot afford to ignore. This warning was delivered by Teke Ramotubei, Director of the Lesotho Meteorological Services (LMS), at a national climate action event where leaders, scientists, and development partners gathered to…
By Molula Mofosi & Thoboloko Ntšonyane The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition has taken decisive steps to strengthen Lesotho’s preparedness for agricultural outbreaks by establishing Rapid Response Committees at national, district, and local levels. The move comes as neighbouring South Africa battles a severe outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) with 270…
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition made headlines with a bold commitment to unlock 28,870 jobs for Basotho youth through the second phase of the Smallholder Agriculture Development Project (SADP II). That promise has now begun to take root through the Youth Mentorship Programme, which was officially launched on 21 July 2025. At…
His Majesty King Letsie III, accompanied by international delegates from the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), attended the highly anticipated Agricultural Market Show held on August 5th in Masianokeng. The event, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, as part of Food Month…
A mysterious predator has devastated a livestock farmer in Thabakhubelu, killing 14 sheep in a single morning and sparking fear across the rural community of Mphoko Lumaluma, in the Mohale’s Hoek District. The victim, Mashapha Lethoko, estimates the loss at M21, 000 based on his usual sale price of M1, 500 per sheep. “I have…
By Seabata Mahao From stock theft to disease outbreaks, the loss of even a single animal can be devastating to Basotho farmers who rears sheep and goat. Recognising the series of vulnerabilities in the livestock sector of agriculture, Alliance Insurance Group introduced Meraka Cover, a dedicated livestock insurance product designed to safeguard the livelihoods of…
From 1 September, all import and export permit applications for animal products and fibre will be processed by the Lesotho National Single Window (LNSW), this was revealed during a recent stakeholder meeting on 29 May 2025. The digital permit system, introduced by the Government of Lesotho with funding from CAFI, aims to eliminate the paper-based…
According to the latest Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP Early Warnings on Acute Food Insecurity report released last week, Lesotho has been officially removed from the list of countries experiencing acute food insecurity. Lesotho now joins Angola, Kenya, Namibia, and Uganda, which have also shown signs of improvement after previously being identified in warnings. In a joint…
Topollo Tlali and Lerato Matheka In the steep, sun-scorched valleys of Liphokoaneng in Thaba-Tseka, where boys are more likely to become herdboys than businessmen, and where childhood is often shaped by the weight of survival rather than dreams, one young man is rewriting that narrative, one trout at a time. At just 25 years old,…
At 33 years old, Makhotso Khoaeane of Quthing-Theoheli, has lived through the kind of farming journey that breaks many, but despite poor markets, climate disasters, and limited resources, she continues to rise. With each failed crop, she has found a reason to try again, shifting, learning, and eventually carving a small but stable space with…
