Wool and mohair farmers in the Quthing district have accused BKB of short-changing them, and called for the elimination of the South African company as their broker.
The farmers insisted their product was worth a lot more than they were receiving from BKB, and swore they would rather sell individually at local establishments like Masianokeng and Thaba Bosiu.
This emerged during the minister of small business development and cooperatives Keketso Sello’s visit to Quthing, which was aimed at addressing challenges of wool and mohair farmers in Upper Moyeni.
This was part of the minister’s ongoing visits to farmers around the country to identify challenges and grievances of farmers. The visits also sensitize farmers on how and where to sell their wool and mohair profitably.
One of the farmers, Lebohang Maliehe sold his wool at Masianokeng after shearing his sheep at the Tosing wool shed. He said it was more beneficial to take his mohair to Masianokeng because of the peace of mind that comes from knowing it is secure.
Sello said the aim of the consultations is to use the famers’ input to develop policies that are responsive to their needs.
