STAFF REPORTER The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Dr Nthabiseng Makoae says Lesotho produces less than a half of food commodities for her people. And the country has to up its game to ensure that it produces enough food to adequately feed its people. Lesotho spends millions of maloti on food that it imports from South Africa annually. Dr Makoae was speaking in Quthing last Tuesday where the country was holding a nutrition campaign to sensitise people about the importance of having enough food. These campaigns are usually held in different districts every year. Dr Makoae said the country is also facing a challenge of handling food properly and this significantly contributes to malnutrition. She said poor nutrition also leads to stunting growth. “The consequences are just numerous,” she said. The Chief Nutrition Officer Malianakuena Bereng encouraged the public to produce different types of food to easily maintain proper nutrition in the families. She further encouraged the public to work in line with the Nutrition Policy as it will guide them to engage in activities that will ease proper nutrition such as production of handicrafts and various food types. The Area Chief of Ha-Koali Chief Seoehla Koali expressed gratitude for the event as it improves the health of Ha-Koali community and those from nearer villages through nutrition education. The District Agricultural Officer Maphakamile Mnxingwana said the campaign is a three year project that started last year with the aim to fight a problem of high number of malnourished children. The campaign was dignified with a procession from Mount Moorosi Commercial area to Koali Agricultural Resource Centre, presentation of various vegetable seeds to parents of 10 children that were identified malnourished prior to the campaign, presentation of solar dryers to Ha-Koali Village Health Workers and exhibition of handicrafts and various foods. Dr Makoae said women of child bearing ages are hardest hit by the effects of malnutrition. She said the study has shown that when an infant could be subjected to malnutrition, when fully grown into a child, such a child could have mental problems. She said this would have dire consequences on the country that would in the future be administered by people who are mentally handicapped. Dr Makoae said it is undeniable fact that if the country is run by the people who have some mental problems, a larger portion of its economy is budgeted for social protection. She maintained that it is only through massive food production that the country could avoid malnutrition and its effects. “My ministry has been allocated money to subsidise farming inputs such as seeds, insecticides, herbicides and fertilisers,” Dr Makoae said. With the help of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Dr Makoae said they would be able to provide communities who have been affected by drought with vegetable seeds. Quthing district would also be included, she said. She said her ministry is going to work hard with the FAO to ensure that they have a strategic plan that would enable them to have good nutrition. Lesotho Demographic Survey reports show that Quthing is the district hard hit by stunted growth. This has been a trend for years. Stunting according to World Health Organisation (WHO) is the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation. Dr Makoae said their primary mandate as the ministry is to ensure national and household food security. “These food commodities should be made available to many at all times,” she said.