Berea, Feb. 19 — A farm owner in Teyateyaneng has highlighted the benefits of farming, saying it could provide viable opportunities for youth despite ongoing weather challenges.
During an interview with the Agency on Thursday, Mr. Khabele Matlosa stated that farming has been successful this year, despite challenging weather conditions.
He said cucumbers, red cabbage, green beans and cherry tomatoes are among the vegetables that performed well on his farm, while tomatoes were not successful due to heavy rainfall that affected the crops.
Mr. Matlosa encouraged youth to rely on vegetable farming, noting that it can be done on a small piece of land compared to animal farming.
“As long as there is a source of water and a small piece of land, vegetable farming can be successful,” he said.
He further urged the youth to invest in farming, highlighting that the government of Lesotho offers incentives for young farmers who supply produce for school feeding programmes.
“There is a wider market in vegetable farming, and the advantage the youth can get is that their vegetables will be fresh compared to imported vegetables,” he said.
However, Mr. Matlosa noted that vegetable farming also faces several challenges, including unexpected crop maturity, heavy rainfall, fog, excessive weeds and drought.
“These challenges can be overcome, although it can be too expensive to do so,” he said.
Additionally, Mr. Matlosa advised youth to consider integrating rabbits into their farming systems, saying rabbits feed on unwanted plants and weeds around the farm while also producing nutrient-rich manure that improves soil fertility.
Ends/MTM/tl
