Mohale’s Hoek, May 27 — District Disaster Manager Mr. Lebohang Moletsane says the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee will conduct Market Research around May 30 following the completion of the Annual Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis (VAA) on May 24.
In an interview with the Agency, Mr. Moletsane said the Market Research initiative aims to identify market opportunities and gaps, understand consumer behaviour and discover untapped demographics.
He explained that the exercise is guided by several dimensions, including prices, competition, security, services and infrastructure, all of which help determine the accessibility of household commodities.
Mr. Moletsane noted that the competition component of the research seeks to establish whether markets are dominated by a single trader or whether consumers have alternative choices.
He added that the security aspect focuses on ensuring the safety of households when purchasing commodities and identifying any barriers that may limit access to markets.
On infrastructure, Mr. Moletsane said the research also assesses whether commodities are stored in safe conditions to ensure that households consume fresh and safe produce.
He further pointed out that factors such as drought continue to negatively affect food security, especially for vulnerable groups that depend on casual labour, including weeding, for survival.
Meanwhile, Councillor for Khomong Electoral Division Mr. Kopi Kopi said recent heavy rains damaged several houses in the area, with one of the worst affected belonging to ’Mabaphuthi Ntsau.
He indicated that he has not yet visited the affected household due to the long distance between Khomong and Hloahloeng.
Mr. Kopi added that another damaged house belongs to a person currently living in the South Africa and is being looked after by a community member.
Efforts by the Agency to contact ’Mabaphuthi Ntsau were unsuccessful due to poor mobile network coverage in Hloahloeng.
The Annual Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis is conducted annually by the Disaster Management Authority to monitor food security and rural livelihoods and to develop practical response plans.
Ends/MAMO/ml
