Staff Reporter
The Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Nutrition, Thabo Mofosi, has called for a renewed focus on agriculture as the backbone of Lesotho’s economy, urging citizens to embrace modern farming methods during his address at the Agriculture Market Day held in Masianokeng, Maseru, on Monday.
The event, which coincided with the August celebrations marking the beginning of the New Year for the Basotho nation, also served to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the formation of the Basotho nation at Thaba Bosiu in 1824.
Minister Mofosi emphasised the significance of agriculture in the nation’s history and its continued relevance in addressing modern challenges, particularly in the face of climate change.
“This month of August marks the beginning of the New Year for the Basotho nation. Among the important typical issues is to prepare for agricultural farming in the fields,” said Mofosi.
“Agriculture has been a backbone to our nation, and today we gather to celebrate 200 years since the formation of the Basotho nation by deeply reflecting on the agricultural methods that were practiced to produce food.”
The Minister highlighted that the theme for this year’s celebrations, “Khotso, Pula, Nala,” reflects Lesotho’s historical identity as a peaceful nation blessed with rain and abundant food production.
He further extended the theme with a powerful message: “Choatla mafisana a tlala re kene khoreng,” which he explained means “breaking the pots of hunger from zero to infinity.”
“This is typical because Lesotho was known to be a peaceful country with a lot of rain and producing abundant food,” Mofosi stated, underscoring the importance of overcoming the challenges facing agriculture in Lesotho.
“We shall come out with proper and relevant strategies as to how we move forward to overcome all challenges facing agriculture in Lesotho.”
As part of the event, various agricultural machinery was displayed to showcase the evolution of food production methods, from traditional practices to modern technology.
Minister Mofosi emphasised the need to attract the youth to agriculture, not only as a means of food production but also as a way to create jobs and build sustainable livelihoods.
“We are also attracting the youth to be fully involved in agriculture as a way of producing jobs for themselves,” he said. “It is, therefore, important that we change our mindset and practice agriculture for commercial purposes.”
The Minister also announced the launch of a new initiative, “Sehoai mpotse ke u arabe,” a nationwide program aimed at addressing farmers’ concerns and finding solutions to the challenges they face.
“During this program, we shall pay attention to our farmers’ concerns and finally come out with relevant solutions,” he explained.
In closing, Minister Mofosi expressed his hope that the discussions and initiatives launched during the Agriculture Market Day would lead to significant progress in the agricultural sector.
He encouraged participants to engage fully with the activities and to work together to overcome the obstacles that hinder agricultural development in Lesotho.
“Let us enjoy the rest of this moment together with the hope that together we shall overcome all challenges facing us,” he concluded.
The Agriculture Market Day brought together farmers, stakeholders, and the general public in a celebration of Lesotho’s agricultural heritage and a commitment to future growth through innovation and collaboration.
