INCUBATION OF LESOTHO FRUIT FARMERS
Government of Lesotho
LESOTHO COMPETITIVENESS And Financial Inclusion project (LESOTHO HORTICULTURAL INCUBATION & TRAINING CENTRE)
CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
FOR
INCUBATION OF LESOTHO FRUIT FARMERS
The Lesotho government, through the World Bank financed Competitiveness and Financial Inclusion (CAFI) Project, is supporting the establishment of a Lesotho Horticultural Incubation and Training Centre (LHITC), located at Mahobong in Leribe district, with the objective of scaling and replicating existing deciduous fruit commercial orchards and attracting new investments into the horticulture sector. The pilot farms established under the first and second World Bank financed Private Sector Competitiveness and Economic Diversification projects (PSCEDP) have successfully demonstrated the commercial potential to produce deciduous fruits in Lesotho for both the domestic and export markets, and there is already significant interest from investors in commercial horticulture. However, these investments can only be realized with a coordinated effort to address land administration challenges including the availability of land parcels of adequate size for commercial scale production and adopting a transparent leasing system to achieve a credible land ownership. There is also a need for coordinated infrastructure investments in irrigation, electricity, roads, packhouses, phytosanitary inspection systems and grading, and private-public partnerships to deliver effective training and skills, and impactful extension services. It is against this background that the Government of Lesotho has established the Lesotho Horticultural Incubation and Training Centre.
The LHITC is located in an existing facility which is owned by the National University of Lesotho (NUL) and it is adjacent to the existing pilot commercial farms. The Centre will be operated in partnership with the National University of Lesotho (NUL).
The objective of LHITC is to provide support for scaling commercial horticulture farming in Lesotho, building on the experience of the current pilot commercial farms and addressing gaps in the value chain, access to suitable land, infrastructure, extension services, skills, finance, and markets while promoting climate smart agricultural practices.
The LHITC is currently incubating the first cohort of 7 deciduous fruit farmers and 2 vegetables farmers.
The CAFI Project Management Unit, now invites farmers and farmers groups to indicate their interest to participate in the second cohort of the full horticultural incubation program. Interested farmers should provide information demonstrating that they meet eligibility criteria below.
The selection criteria will be based on the following key requirements:
Applicants (individual farmers or farmers groups) must have:
- Access to suitable land of the minimum size of 5 ha (owned or rented), for at least a period of 30 years if rented, with a proof of land ownership documents in the name of the Applicant. The required acceptable documents are Form Cs, Leases or subleases (if the land is rented).
- The site close to a good source of quality irrigation water that will provide adequate water to irrigate an orchard of at least 5ha.
- Access road linking the site with the main road and should be in a good condition.
- The site that is close to electricity supply or other sustainable sources of power for irrigation and other functions of the orchard.
Note:
In the case of farmers groups, they must have proof of an existing legal entity (Cooperative or Company), or they must provide letter of intent to form a company or Cooperative signed by all group members. However, all members of the group must have Land Ownership Documents stated in (1) above.
Experience in commercial farming will be an added advantage.
Format of EOI submissions
The applicants should include at least the following information in their submissions to enable objective assessment of the expressions of interest:
- Applicant information including name, address, cell phone, working e-mail, website (if any), names of a Project Manager (if different from applicant).
- Certified copies of land ownership documents.
- Proof of acreage from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition.
- Description of the location of the site where the orchard is intended to be established.
Further information and suitability maps can be obtained at the address below during office hours [08h00 to 16h30 local time].
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form, in sealed envelopes labelled “Incubation of Lesotho Fruit Farmers” to the address below in person or by e-mail on or before Friday, 04th April 2025 at 16h30. E-mail submissions should be sent to procurement@cafi.org.ls with a copy to nsupu@cafi.org.ls as a single attachment.
Managing Director
Lesotho Competitiveness and Financial Inclusion Project
1st Floor ‘Matanki House
P.O. Box 747,
Maseru 100
Lesotho
Tel.: (+266) 22 315 100
NB: This call for expression of interest is open to all Basotho farmers, including those who participated in the first and second cohort pre-incubation program.
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