By ‘Majirata Latela
A row over the actual amount of money owed to wool and mohair producers has erupted between the farming community and the ministry of small business development. cooperatives and marketing.
The dispute arose following an announcement by the small business development, cooperatives and marketing minister Thesele Maseribane that farmers were owed M10million. The farming community in the sector, on the other hand, is contesting the claim arguing the amount due to them was way more than this amount.
This week the minister of agriculture, marketing and food security Likopo Mahase told a media briefing that payments to farmers owed money by Maseru Dawning (managed by Stone Shi) have started.
Mahase’s averments come on the back of ‘Maseribane’s revelation that the total number of farmers owed was 2 710 and that the government would fork out more than M10million.
The disgruntled farmers and some government officials have contested the amount arguing it was too little.
But officers close to the developments who spoke on condition of anonymity said the government had decided as long ago as 2019 that only a slight excess of M10million would be paid out.
They claim that upon collection of data from farming organisations dealing in wool and mohair, the number of farmers owed and the money due to them are far more than that offered by the small business development ministry.
“We are surprised that the current leadership in that ministry held a reconciliation conference with some farmers at which they came up with that small figure.
“The officers from the ministry did not contact all the farmers. They should have visited all the districts to source accurate number of farmers who are to be paid out,” an official linked to the small business development observed.
The Lesotho National Wool and Mohair Farmers Growers Association’ spokesperson, Khotsang Moshoeshoe has been disappointed with the figures being brought forward by the ministry.
He is highly suspicious of the amount government planned to pay out, saying during his tenure as finance minister in 2019 prime minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro earmarked the M10 million as due amount to be given out to the farmers.
The money was to be offered as a bail out to Maseru Dawning.
He is surprised that Maseribane has towed the line to claim that the producers are still owed M10million.
“Farmers who sold their products are more than 3 000 with an estimated amount of M100million owed to them. But we accept a bail out of M10 million promised to Maseru Dawning as part of a relief measure to some farmers,” Moshoeshoe explained.
The payments were to be done through the three local banks where money would be deposited. Others would receive their share at the shearing sheds after a scrutiny of the lists provided by their associations.
Maseribane said about 1 810 farmers had dormant bank accounts while others did not have any at all.
Already, he said, the Standard Lesotho Bank has processed 643 payments, Lesotho Post Bank 114 followed by First National Bank with only two.
