In spite of agriculture being recognised by theNational Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) II as one of the key priority areas for economic growth, farmers in poultry and horticulture sector still facecritical challenges including quality and standardisation for both local and export markets.
This emerged at a two-day national dialogue on quality infrastructure for Lesotho’s horticulture and poultry sectors by the Millennium Challenge Account Lesotho (MCA) in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme and the Lesotho Supply Development Programme this week.
The objective of the dialogue was to ensure that all key stakeholders have consensus on the framework for quality infrastructure in the country, which will facilitate comprehensive and targeted support by government and development partners for the poultry and horticulture sectors.
It also gave key stakeholders, including the public and private sectors, an opportunity to engage on the challenges and constraints that affect the growth and development of the two sectors.
The Lesotho National Farmers Union programme manager, Khotso Lepheana, said only a fewfarmers make it to the export market as they do not meet standards and the demand for the export market.
Lepheana said there is a need for food standards, and food labs to supply the export market with local products.
“There are more processed chicken and egg products market opportunities in our country. However, our poultry meat market has been captured by big franchise shops and they do not buy from local farmers.
“If they occupy the entire market where the Lesotho farmers can supply their food commodities, that means we need food standards and food labs,” Lepheana noted.
At the same occasion, the deputy chief executive officer of the Millennium Challenge Account, Limpho Maema, said Lesotho needs to havestandards and quality infrastructure help to promote consumer protection and boost consumer confidence in the products produced in thecountry, resulting into competitive and improvedaccess to the export market.
“Apart from that, quality standardisation helps toimprove productivity or value and quality of products. It also improves access to funding,”Maema pointed out.
