Maseru, Nov. 12 — Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Selibe Mochoboroane, has on Thursday met with farmers to discuss challenges affecting the implementation of the Smallholder Agriculture Development Project II (SADP II) and find ways of addressing them.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Mochoboroane said the Ministry was committed to helping farmers increase production volumes so that Lesotho could reduce its dependence on agricultural imports from South Africa.
He urged farmers to work hard and account for every cent received through SADP II, noting that some had failed to pay their agreed contributions.
He also said the government had stopped importing eggs from South Africa to give local poultry farmers an opportunity to supply the domestic market.
The Minister said the project had about M11 million available and urged farmers to follow the required procedures to access the funds and expand their businesses.
He announced that farmers would be given until the end of November to submit their contributions, while youth farmers would have until mid-December.
Mr. Mochoboroane further said that, from now on, reports on issues affecting SADP II farmers would be presented every Monday to improve follow-up and address their concerns.
Farmers raised several challenges, including delays in the approval of reports and what they described as frequent changes to project requirements.
They also complained that some boreholes drilled under the project had no water, affecting their agricultural activities and production.
One farmer said she had initiated a payment process in May but was still waiting for approval.
She said the delay had placed her in a difficult position as she was in the process of demolishing her chicken house.
Some farmers also raised concerns about alleged favouritism in the implementation of SADP II, claiming that certain beneficiaries received assistance while others facing similar challenges did not.
They further complained that improved seeds were often delivered late, forcing them to delay planting. They appealed for seeds to be made available throughout the year to enable them to plant on time.
Meanwhile, SADP II Matching Grants Manager, Mrs. Masekete Mot’set’sero, reminded farmers to comply with all the required procedures and encouraged them to approach the project office to resolve challenges affecting their applications.
She explained that farmers were required to contribute 20 per cent of the project costs, while SADP II covered the remaining 80 per cent.
She said farmers were responsible for ensuring that their reports were approved and that they submitted authentic receipts, as these were among the key requirements for accessing funds.
Responding to concerns about boreholes without water, Mrs. Mot’set’sero advised farmers to engage local chiefs and communities where existing water sources were available to seek permission for connections. She said this would help prevent possible damage to community water infrastructure.
Farmers were urged to comply with project requirements, submit their contributions within the extended deadlines and work closely with the SADP II office to address challenges affecting their projects and improve agricultural production.
Ends/NL
