Thaba Tseka, Aug. 09 — Food and Nutrition Insecurity in Lesotho is driven by climate-related shocks, such as storms, heavy rains, high temperatures, dry spells and drought, which have damaged crops and infrastructure in other areas in the country.
This is according to the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee report of 2024, which states that as a result of El Nino-induced dry spells in the 2023/24 rainy season the area planted recorded a decrease of 32 percent in the 2023/24 season compared to 2022/23 agricultural season, leading to the lowest yield since 2018/19.
It continued to highlight that socio-economic shocks, including job losses, reduced opportunities in on-farm and casual labour, price hikes, and high inflation, have significantly reduced household incomes and further weakened their fragile purchasing power.
The report says the national crop production of maize decreased by 52 percent in 2024 compared to the insufficient, lasting up to three months for most.
