The government is set to begin distributing food assistance to 52,632 vulnerable households across the country, as part of efforts to cushion communities against growing food insecurity.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Disaster Management Authority (DMA) under the Office of the Prime Minister, follows concerns over worsening food shortages, particularly among households already struggling to meet their basic food needs.
According to DMA, the latest national vulnerability assessment estimates that approximately 492,284 Basotho are at risk of food insecurity.
The situation is expected to deteriorate further due to forecasts of high temperatures and below-average rainfall associated with the anticipated El Niño conditions between October 2026 and March 2027.
The anticipated weather conditions pose a significant threat to agricultural production, potentially worsening food shortages and placing additional pressure on already vulnerable households.
To address these challenges, the government has adopted a Local Purchase Programme, through which it purchases grain and other food commodities directly from local farmers.
The move is designed to achieve two objectives: providing farmers with a reliable market for their produce while securing food supplies for communities in need.
The exercise will be conducted in consultation with local leadership structures, including chiefs, community leaders and councillors, to facilitate coordination and ensure smooth implementation.
The government has called on communities across the country to take note of the forthcoming distribution exercise and cooperate with the authorities throughout the process.
The intervention comes at a critical time for Lesotho, where climate-related agricultural challenges and economic pressures continue to threaten household food security.
Beyond providing immediate relief, the Local Purchase Programme also highlights the importance of supporting local agricultural production while strengthening national responses to food insecurity.
During the previous financial year, the government purchased a total of 2,330,110 kilogrammes of food commodities from 2,307 farmers across the country. The purchases, which included white maize, yellow maize, wheat, beans and sorghum, amounted to M24,830,398.
In addition to locally sourced produce, Lesotho received donations of 12,000 bags of rice and 12,000 bags of wheat from China.
As the country prepares for the anticipated El Niño-related challenges, the government says collective responsibility remains essential in disaster prevention, preparedness and management.
