Fresh Produce Market Centers for Smallholder Farmers in Lesotho

By   Mamoholi  Mphutlane To improve the Marketing of Smallholder Fruits and Vegetable production in Lesotho, the Government of Lesotho, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN), has considered constructing Market Centres in three Districts: Leribe North, Mohale’s Hoek South, and Maseru Central. Market centers are places where farmers take their produce for market purposes to make it accessible to consumers collectively.

 However, the completed and functional Market Centre is the one in Maseru Central called Maluti Fresh Produce. The Leribe Market Centre has been completed, and Mohale’s Hoek is still under construction. However, they are both not yet functional but are expected to be functional very soon.  

In an interview with Mrs. Malesitse Mokhohlane, the Marketing Officer in the Department of Marketing From MAFSN, she indicated that the Maseru Market Centre had been formally opened in 2021 in Maseru, Lesotho. Its funding included funds from the Enhance Intergraded Framework (EIF); the Market Centre is under the International Trade Centre and Implemented by Lesotho National Development Cooperation (LNDC) in the Ministry of Trade,  Industry and Small Business Development. The main objective is to answer the challenges of marketing products for Smallholder Farmers.

The  Market Centre operates such that Smallholder Farmers bring their produce, which is ready for market, to the Market Centre. Moreover, Smallholder Farmers register with the Market Centre for easy identification. They must also have the (sanitary certificate) for cleanliness from MAFSN, proofing that the produce is suitable for consumption. That is, if it is free from diseases or chemicals, it will put people’s lives in danger. The produce is habitually available in summer because of the Lesotho terrain. Maluti Fresh Produce controls the incoming and outgoing produce in and out of the country.

 The Market Centre supplies all categories of buyers, for example, Street Vendors, Households, shopkeepers, Catering Companies, etc., in the same way; prices are allocated on the quality and size of each product since it receives every product from the Smallholder Farmers.

Mrs. Mokhohlane further indicated that the importance of the Market Centres is to provide consumers with Smallholder produce that is accessible in one place at reasonable prices.

Market prices are controlled by advocating for uniform and affordable prices.  The selling of Basotho produce has resulted in job creation for farmers and helping farmers make products that meet market standards.

Furthermore, as the Ministry, they are providing farmers with advisory services from production up to packaging. That is, to complete the value chain. She concluded that market centers would challenge smallholder farmers to work hard and produce more vegetables to improve Lesotho's economy. The Market Centres will also answer Basotho's challenges due to the market not being available for a long time.

 The author is a Principal Agriculture Information Officer in Lesotho and a CCARDESA Information, Communication & Knowledge Management (ICKM) focal point person.