Agriculture ministry under fire

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition has come under fire from subsistence and small-scale farmers, who accuse it of failing to effectively coordinate and boost their spirited efforts to graduate into commercial farming.

The farmers have demanded the establishment of a National Agriculture Planning Unit to oversee and monitor the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget, saying it’s crucial for effective management.

The farmers said this yesterday during a stakeholders’ forum organised by the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Economic and Development Cluster.

The engagement brought together government entities, farmers, and experts to share perspectives, challenges facing the agricultural sector, and share recommendations for Parliament’s consideration on how local farming can be commercialised.

In an interview with theReporter on the sideline of the event, an agricultural expert, Dr Lebajoa Motoko indicated that commercial farming is the producing of crops and livestock on a large scale for profit.

He said commercial farming involves using modern techniques, technology, and management practices to increase productivity and efficiency.

Dr Motoko noted that this approach can contribute significantly to Lesotho’s gross domestic product (GDP) and create jobs.

He noted that commercial farming is not just about production; it’s about creating a sustainable and profitable agricultural sector.

Dr Motoko urged farmers to shift from subsistence to commercial farming. This requires collaboration between government, farmers, and stakeholders to address challenges and seize opportunities.

By working together, Lesotho can transform its agricultural sector and improve the lives of its people.

“Large-scale production can meet local demand and potentially lead to exporting surplus, improving food security. Additionally, commercial farming can increase incomes for farmers and rural communities, boosting livelihoods. Lesotho’s shift to commercial farming can reduce reliance on imports and boost economic resilience,” Dr Motoko said.

He highlighted that the country currently imports 85 percent of its food requirements from South Africa, making transition to commercial farming vital.

The challenge, he said, lies in coordinating efforts, accessing finance, and creating a conducive environment.

But with the right support, Lesotho’s farmers can unlock the country’s agricultural potential and drive economic growth, Dr Motoko added.

Speaking at the same occasion, the secretary general of the Lesotho National Farmers’ Association, (LENAFU), Khotso Lepheana, revealed that the local agricultural sector is still struggling to move to commercial farming. This is due to lack of coordination by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nutrition and Food Security, he said.

Lepheana noted that there is need for a structured approach to manage and monitor agricultural budget allocation.

Lepheana’s shared sentiments come as Lesotho eyes a shift from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, a move that could boost food security and economic growth.

He further called for the establishment of the National Agriculture Planning Unit to help drive transition to commercial farming, encouraging more efficient use of resources and better market access.

The proposed unit would coordinate efforts, and address challenges like limited access to finance, markets, and technology.

“Moving to commercial farming means we can create jobs, increase productivity and improve livelihoods,” Lepheana pointed out.

He also indicated that the country is weak in developing and tracking indicators for agriculture and food security.

Inaccessibility to adequate natural resources such as water and land, as well as lack of aggregation structures in some districts for vegetables, eggs and milk continued to hinder progress in commercial farming.

Lack of accredited abattoirs for meat processing and national policies on food standards from primary production, processing and retailing were also some of the identified challenges crippling efforts to commercialise the farming industry.

Lepheana underscored that there is need for re-agro ecological zoning to repurpose the National Subsidy Programme in terms of large-scale fodder production, storage infrastructure and processing facilities.

For his part, chairperson of the Economic and Development Cluster Committee, Sello Hakane, acknowledged a gap in commercial farming, saying it is time for Lesotho to move forward.

Hakane stated that it is high time Basotho trust each other to move forward and avoid trusting foreign aid over their own.

“We trusted the trusted the Millennium Challenge Corporative Compact (MCC Compact) II funding, to solve this problem for us, but the funding was halted without that dream being fulfilled. It’s high time we fix our problems without depending on donors,” Hakane said, adding that the country’s budget is enough to venture into commercial farming.

All that was need is total commitment and collective decisions to commit the national budget and invest more in the agricultural sector.

As long as we still use our funds and start at the wrong place, it would not to be easy for Lesotho to achieve its goal of food self-suffiency.

Hakane added that Lesotho is endowed with all the necessary tools such as land and water to the economy’s growth.

“We’re behind in terms of the global latest agricultural practices,” he cautioned.

The Chair of Chairs, Mokhothu Makhalanyane, said Lesotho currently imports 85 percent of its agricultural products from South Africa.

He urged government to support farmers with capital, infrastructure, policies and technical knowledge to help them grow.

“Agriculture is not contributing much to this country, but we expect it to be the heart of the nation. We expect government to create a conducive environment for people to do business in terms of standards, legislatives, technical issues and policies,” Makhalanyane said, urging the agriculture sector to create its own space.

The committee is now expected to use insights from the forum to advise the National Assembly on the way forward.