SADP II launches third round grants to boost climate-resilient farming
Former PM Majoro among beneficiaries
MOSA MAOENG
LERIBE – The Smallholder Agriculture Development Project II (SADP II) has entered its third round of grant implementation, with a renewed focus on promoting sustainable agricultural practices and climate-resilient farming.
The initiative, which aims to empower smallholder farmers across Lesotho, was officially launched last Thursday in Pitseng, Leribe, with 160 farmers from Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka, Botha-Bothe, Leribe, and Berea attending the workshop.
Notably, former Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro is among the beneficiaries of this round. Majoro practices crop farming, cultivating vegetables and grains.
In an interview, he revealed that he is currently working with over 100 families and farming approximately 80 hectares of land in Tsikoane and Mathokoane. He emphasized that this effort is part of his broader initiative to help Basotho achieve self-sufficiency in food production.
Reflecting on his time in office, Majoro highlighted his government’s push to increase agricultural subsidies from 50 to 80 percent, a policy that remains in effect today. He also recalled efforts to improve access to farming equipment, including selling government-owned tractors to private farmers – a move that has since contributed to the growth of over 200 block farmers in Lesotho.
Additionally, his administration negotiated a 30 percent discount on farming machinery through partnerships with Lesotho PostBank and the Ministry of Agriculture, leading to the purchase of more than 150 tractors under the programme.
Despite these advancements, Majoro acknowledged that achieving full self-sufficiency for Basotho farmers remains a challenge, citing historical barriers to equipment access.
Currently, Majoro is cultivating 160 hectares in Mathokoane with the help of three employees, demonstrating his continued commitment to agricultural development.
The SADP II project, through its grants and training programmes, seeks to further support such efforts, ensuring long-term food security and climate adaptation for Lesotho’s farming communities.
“I began the planting in 2023, the land is 1 000 hectares, using 160 of the land was me assisting other families who were own the land but are not able to plant their part of the land, so I am able to assist them using my own tractor and we harvest together,” he said.
He further added that there is a mill close by the village and has not seized working since 2023 with the community benefiting since the last time their fields were cultivated was in 2015.
On the other hand, SADP II chairperson Matching Grant Committee, Thabo Matsepe, said the committee is responsible for issuing grants and making a follow-up on how they are used by the farmers.
He added that they have contracts with farmers which the farmers have to abide by, repeatedly going around in the districts that the project is working on to verify whether the said farmers have used grants in the right way.
Matsepe noted that embarking on yet another workshop for these third round winners is due to challenges that they have encountered as SADP such that people tend to misuse the funds and do not use it for its purpose. He said there are so many of Basotho projects that have been neglected in the country therefore those who are going to create new projects should understand that the mandate of the grants is to create jobs for Basotho.
Matsepe pointed out a serious concern for youth to benefit from the project noting land ownership as the main challenge. He said they have tried negotiating with the parents to create sub-leases for at least 30 years so that their children would be able to use to create businesses.
He said the second challenge is contribution since they need at least 20 percent from the applicant so that SADP can give the 80 percent of the grants to start their businesses.
He said going forward SADP might consider reducing the terms and conditions for youth so that they are not the same as other matured farmers.
On Monday this week, the Prime Minister Ntsokoane Matekane held a public account on the strategy to curb unemployment; it is in this session that he noted that through SADP II, the government will support 80 upcoming youth farmers in different areas of the country.
Government is currently implementing the SADP II with funding from the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of Japan.
The aim of the project is to improve food security, enhance sustainable agricultural practices, and promote climate resilient farming, SADP II supports smallholder farmers by providing them with technical assistance and market access to boost productivity and economic growth and has been instrumental in driving sustainable agriculture in Lesotho, focusing on food security, climate smart farming practices and economic growth for rural communities.
SADP II’s efforts are aligned with global food security initiatives, ensuring that smallholder farmers benefit from improved agricultural systems and market access. The project includes a programme of grants provided on a competitive basis to farmers and rural businesses to grow their business introducing technological innovations and improved business practices.
