Maseru, June 03 — Government and dairy stakeholders today called for stronger collaboration and practical solutions to transform Lesotho’s dairy sector, citing underutilized infrastructure, low milk production, and heavy reliance on imports.
Speaking at the Lesotho Dairy Industry Strategic Review held in Maseru on Wednesday, Principal Secretary Dr. Khothatso Ts’oana urged stakeholders to develop a practical roadmap for growth. He said the sector is critical for food and nutrition security, job creation and reducing dependence on imported dairy products.
Dr. Ts’oana noted ongoing challenges including limited access to quality breeding and veterinary services, poor market infrastructure, and restricted finance for farmers and other players.
He described the Social Dairy Investing Strategic Review Project as an important platform for government and industry to address systemic issues and identify sustainable solutions.
“Government alone cannot transform the dairy industry. We need stronger partnerships between public and private sector stakeholders to achieve long-term sustainability and competitiveness,” Dr. Ts’oana said.
Experts advocated for revitalization through collaboration and efficient farming. Mr. Dai Harvey from Dairy for Development, Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society, promoted the Dairy for Development concept, which emphasizes international collaboration, technical expertise, and knowledge-sharing among countries with similar challenges.
Mr. Harvey said partnerships with producer associations, technical institutions, and international organizations are key to equipping farmers with skills to increase productivity.
He promoted Jersey cattle as well-suited for resource-constrained Basotho farmers due to their efficiency, high fertility, and ability to produce quality milk with relatively low inputs.
With Basotho communities having a strong cultural connection to livestock farming, Mr. Harvey said boosting local milk production would improve access to nutritious animal-source proteins, create economic opportunities, enhance rural livelihoods, and reduce import dependence.
Lesotho National Dairy Board Technical Consultant Mr. Nchele Kuleile highlighted infrastructure and production challenges. He said the country possesses dairy processing infrastructure that remains significantly underutilized due to low milk output.
Kuleile noted that a milk processing plant established in 1987 has capacity to process up to 10,000 litres daily, but current production falls short of meeting that demand.
He identified the absence of a formal breeding programme and difficulties accessing suitable dairy cattle after the closure of a key cross-border sourcing channel as major constraints.
He explained that operational entities handle milk collection and processing, while the LNDB serves as the regulatory authority responsible for setting milk prices, administering import and export permits, and promoting sector development.
Looking ahead, Kuleile stressed the need to develop sustainable dairy products, improve efficiency across the value chain, and ensure all milk produced by farmers is effectively collected and processed to support long-term growth and sustainability.
ENDS/TS/tl
