Mokhotlong, Lesotho – A group of small-scale farmers in Sekokong are celebrating a bountiful harvest after a successful partnership with the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA).
This dedicated group of seven, armed with essential resources and guidance from the LHDA’s Crops and Livelihoods officers, planted 300 bags of potato seeds across 45.5 acres. The LHDA’s support included potato seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and crucial technical advice throughout the cropping season.
This comprehensive approach empowered the farmers to significantly expand their production, allowing them to effectively meet market demands. Their success story doesn’t end there – they’ve already sold their produce to the Senqu Bridge contractor WRES JV, local supermarkets, and individual customers. The LHDA is actively exploring additional market opportunities to ensure continued growth.
The income generated from these sales will be reinvested back into the farm, purchasing seeds for future planting seasons. The project is constantly evolving, with ongoing assessments to improve quality assurance, storage compliance, and overall efficiency. To further empower these entrepreneurs, the farmers are receiving training in bookkeeping and general business management, equipping them to reduce costs and potentially scale up production in the future.
Looking beyond potatoes, the LHDA is collaborating with other commodity groups to diversify vegetable production. Inspired by the successful Mojakisane demonstration site, similar projects are being piloted in Malingoaneng, Tsépong, and Tlokoeng. These new groups have embraced irrigation techniques, planting a variety of vegetables including an impressive sixty thousand cabbage seedlings in the last season.
This vegetable production initiative is a cornerstone of the Phase II livelihoods program. The program focuses on knowledge and skill-sharing to strengthen the vegetable production sector, ultimately aiming to improve the resilience of rural communities and promote sustainable agricultural practices across the region.
