By Neo Kolane
Lesotho is facing the prospect of low summer harvests and indignity of food donation in the face of the current drought that is cutting swathes across the country as climate change tightens its grip on the population of just over two million people.
Early last year, the Lesotho Meteorological Services predicted dry conditions starting in October 2023 which were to continue until this month. This period coincides with Lesotho’s planting season, and the lack of rain coupled with warmer temperatures could unfavourably affect agricultural production.
Feared to likely trump the 2023-2024 cropping season, the drought that the country is currently experiencing is a result of El Nino, a climate phenomenon characterised by minimal rainfall and extreme heat.
According to National University of Lesotho (NUL) agri-business economist, Dr Montoeli Rantlo, food production is going to be low because of the anticipated poor performance of staple crops like maize and sorghum.
In an interview on Tuesday, Rantlo said this could only mean that levels of hunger are destined to increase, eventually forcing Basotho to kowtow to their tag of perennial beggars.
“This will make us rely more on imports, which we are already struggling to afford, given the ever-decreasing purchasing power. Hence our dependence on food aid from other countries.
“If you remember, between 2015 and 2017, the government subsided the prices of maize meal so that people could afford it. That had financial implications on the economy because it was never planned.
“Donations become the only course open to us, in the process entrenching a culture of dependency. We end up becoming a nation that is always depending on other countries when we are hit by climate change. There will never be a time when we say ‘climate change is here, how can we survive with it?’” he noted.
Rantlo emphasised the need for Basotho to adopt climate-smart agricultural technologies where farms are protected using plastic tunnels, shade nets and greenhouses.
“As long as we do not take appropriate action, our crops will always be killed by the extreme heat or torrential rains, and we will forever look to donations. This is not good for our dignity as a nation,” he added.
The programme manager of the Lesotho National Farmers’ Union, Khotso Lepheana said the drought had affected most farmers across the country.
“However, the situation varies from place to place. Some farmers did not harvest anything at all, especially those in the lowlands,” he explained, adding that a rapid survey was yet to be conducted to ascertain the number of people in need of food aid.
In an interview with theReporter this week, a member of the Mphokojoane community council in Mokhotlong district, Tebalo Tuoane, said farmers in the area are unlikely to see any significant harvest after hailstorms compounded their misery by destroying crops in January and February.
“The combination of drought and hail has left crops stunted with no prospects of any yield. The entire district is affected.
“Some farmers planted cash crops such as beans and wheat, which take a shorter to reach harvest time, but they too could not survive the dry and simmering weather conditions.
“It has always been our plea to the authorities to intervene by donating food parcels for our community. The council made a resolution during a meeting on Wednesday last week to approach the relevant institutions like the Disaster Management Authority (DMA) for help.
“Last month we identified the neediest and most vulnerable members of our respective communities, and they received supplies of grain from the DMA. The people are curious to know if the handouts will keep coming or not,” he said.
Tuoane added that the plight of rural communities has been aggravated by the damage to local roads by the hailstorm earlier this year, making it difficult for the peasant farmers to walk to their fields.
These sentiments were echoed by ‘Manthethe Lesitsi, a councillor of Khubelu in the same district who pointed out that the prevailing drought has led to dairy farmers suffering low milk production due to diminished graze lands and malnourished cattle.
“Households with no stable income are in more danger of hunger. I foresee people’s lives and animals being in jeopardy.
“Only those with stable jobs will survive, because they have the means to buy food,” she said.
Both councilors called on government to come to the people’s rescue with food-for-work initiatives.
DMA public relations officer Mahlape Koali revealed plans to conduct a vulnerability assessment in Mokhotlong in two months, to identify the nature of relief required by the communities.
“There is a project called Anticipatory Action currently underway in the Mafeteng, Mohale’s Hoek, Quthing and Thaba Tseka districts which is supported World Food Programme.
“Under this project, farmers are equipped with skills such as using shade nets and erecting concrete tanks for water harvesting and conservation. It is important to empower them with skills to adapt to changing weather patterns,” Koali said.
According to the 2021 Climate Risk Country Profile of Lesotho compiled by the World Bank, agriculture is a key economic sector and a major source of employment in Lesotho, with 60 percent-70 percent of the country’s labour earnings derived from agriculture.
Agriculture is predominantly small-scale, and characterised by rain-fed cereal production with extensive animal grazing; the livestock subsector contributes approximately double that of the crop subsector.
The World Bank states that the majority of the population (75percent–80 percent) are dependent on agriculture in the country reside in the lowlands and foothills where most of the arable land is found.
Domestic plants for the country are maize, wheat, sorghum, potatoes, beans and peas, fruit trees and fresh vegetables, such as cabbage and tomatoes, while sheep and goat (primarily for wool and mohair), cattle and pigs are the major livestock.
Wool and mohair form an integral part of the economy, supporting approximately 50 percent of the rural households particularly in the mountain districts. Sheep and goats are mostly kept under an extensive livestock production system.
Cattle and other animals such as donkeys and horses also play a major role in crop production since they are used for ploughing and transporting produce to markets. The short cycle stock (chicken and pigs), especially kept by women contribute significantly to household food security.
Rearing of small ruminants and poultry under intensive management systems is common in urban areas. Cattles are reared under an extensive system for subsistence milk and meat production.
The most common production system in the country is wheat-maize mono-cropping, which despite its prevalence, is widely regarded as unsustainable and insufficient to feed the country’s population.
Home gardening is also an important source of horticultural produce, with an estimated 70 percent of rural households producing vegetables.
