Quthing, August 13 — Beneficiaries of the Culling Exchange Programme under the Wool and Mohair Value Chain Competitiveness Project (WaMCoOP) from Koali and Central Agricultural Resource Centres have called for training on the proper care of their newly distributed hybrid rams and bucks.
District Animal Promotion Officer (DAPO) from district department of agriculture and food security Ms. RelebohileNtsane said the request emerged during ongoing monitoring of Merino hybrid Rams and Angora goat bucks distributed to the beneficiaries earlier this year.
The programme is designed to motivate smallholder farmers by phasing out low-yielding animals and replacing them with high-yielding breeds.
Ms. Ntsane noted that common challenges identified include diarrhoea, often linked to feeding practices, and mites which occurred when hybrids were mixed with local animals.
The animals distributed to beneficiaries were procured from the Lesotho Wool and Mohair Growers Association (WMGA) farms in Quthing and the Mokhotlong sheep stud.
She said the monitoring will continue this month at Tlatlamentsi and Mphaki agricultural resource centres.
A final report with recommendations will be submitted to WaMCoOP and the Department of Livestock to strengthen the programme.
In Quthing district, at least 18 farmers received rams and eight received bucks, after meeting requirements such as demonstrating commitment to improving small stock breeds.
WaMCoOP is a seven-year initiative under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition to be phased out in 2031, aimed at boosting climate resilience, expanding market access, and increasing income for small-scale farmers nationwide.
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