Lesotho: Horticulture productivity and trade development

Résumé

Project’s Target Areas and Groups:

Target beneficiaries were drawn from the four lowland districts of Leribe, Berea, Maseru and Mafeteng.

Target Groups:

• Farmer Groups (Cooperatives and Associations)

• The youth

• Women

• Individual smallholder farmers who have basic resources and motivation required to successfully improve agricultural productivity and diversify into market-oriented agriculture. However special concessions were made for the poorest of the poor who demonstrated enough passion and commitment to enterprise but lacking in basic means.




• Implementing Entities:

  • Ministries of Trade and Industry (MTI), of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) and of Small Business, Cooperatives and Marketing (MSBCM).

  • The International Trade Centre (ITC), as the main implementing entity. Responsibilities among these entities were shared in accordance with the following table:

    Outcomes and Responsibilities

• Outcome	Partner Organisations	Focus Area
  Outcome 1 Enhanced skills and knowledge of Smallholder farmers (SMEs) and their cooperatives in the use of appropriate technology in production of high-value FFVs.	MTICM	· Identification of beneficiaries and their location as well as specific needs within cooperatives · Approval and coordination of Project management processes
  	ITC	· Office of Africa (Procurement and supply of appropriate agro-technology) · Sector Competitiveness Section (Division of Market Development)
  	MAFS	· Identification of beneficiaries and their location as well as specific needs within cooperatives · In collaboration with suppliers of equipment provide agronomical support and relevant training, crops department assist in the identification of Project beneficiaries and field services assist with extension work
  Outcome 2 Masianokeng Mushroom laboratory provides greater volumes of Mushroom Spawn for the ever-growing demand for the spawn in Lesotho.	MAFS	· In collaboration with suppliers of equipment install and lead production of additional spawn at the selected premises
  	MTICM	· The marketing department to assist with identifying potential markets for the mushroom · Standardisation, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology (SQAM) should help with proper packaging of mushroom to ensure freshness and market value
  Outcome 3 Strengthened capacity of the DSQA to deliver Quality Assessment support services to SMEs.	ITC	· Enterprise Competitiveness Section –SQAM Unit (Division of Business and Institutional Support) · Trade Information Section (Division of Market Development)
  	MTICM	· Department of Standards and Quality Assurance (DSQA) – lead and design the strategy for standard knowledge development · Department of marketing should start mentioning Lesotho’s products conformity to standards as a new marketing ploy
  	MAFS	· Agriculture research department
  Outcome 4 Strengthened consolidation/commercial Market Centre that manages an inclusive supply chain services linking cooperatives to domestic and international markets.	MTICM	· Coordination of design and implementation of the FFV supply chain · Coordination of partnerships between producers and private sector (Consolidation-Marketing Centre operations)
  	ITC	· Export Strategy Section: build capacity and design sector strategy for the FFVs · Export Strategy Section: Build capacity and design sector strategy for the FFVs · Market Information System (mobile and printed versions for use by locals)
  Outcome 5 Improved financial management skills among target coops/smallholder farmers and as well as capacity enhanced to receive bank loans.	MTICM	· In collaboration with Ministry of Finance lead the deployment of the Credit Guarantee Scheme to Project beneficiaries
  	ITC	· Train farmers and cooperative growing FFVs to better deal with finance management issues including with finance houses e.g. bank loans repayment