Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Lesotho has extended the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) project with two more months. The project took a shape in January, following the severe drought that hit Lesotho last year making it difficult and almost impossible for farmers to till their land.
news
June 5, 2019
STAFF REPORTER
2 min read
CERF extended with two months
agriculture
In August, the project will phase out although it was scheduled to end this month. FAO National Communications Officer Reitumetse Russell told Metro that the extension was made to ensure that the early action programme fits in well with the main support that is expected to help farmers during the next agricultural session by both the government and the development partners. Russell said the planned interventions are still on-going especially for the winter cropping and cash transfers to families of the orphans and vulnerable children. She said support for the health facilities is also going on.
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But the numbers are still being put together by different agencies that participate in the programme. Russell said the target is to reach 22 000 beneficiaries. The project provides farmers with garden seeds, winter cropping seeds and also assists livestock farmers through the Ministry of Forestry under the Department of Range Lands with fodder crops. Currently the United Nations (UN) is working with the Disaster Management Authority (DMA) to finalise current drought response plan.
The focus is on Qacha’s Nek, Quthing, Mohale’s Hoek and Maseru which were hardest hit by drought according to FAO. Asked about the challenges they faced in the past six months, Russell said some beneficiaries did not plant the seeds from the live hood recovery packages. This time around, they hope to educate people more on the importance of Conservation Agriculture (CA).
CA is defined as a sustainable agriculture production system comprising a set of farming practices adapted to the requirements of crops and local conditions of each region, whose farming and soil management techniques protect the soil from erosion and degradation, improve its quality and biodiversity, and contribute to the preservation of the natural resources, water and air, while optimising yields. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security advised farmers to plant winter crops this season because drought made it impossible for farmers last year to enter into summer cropping.
Farmers failed to plant maize and sorghum which are staple foods in Lesotho. People living in the rural areas are the ones to feel more heat because they solely depend on agriculture for their survival. A total of 80% of Basotho lives in rural areas of the country.
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