THE supply of vegetables at the Maluti Fresh Produce, a vegetable platform that aims to improve market access to aggregate vegetable production is reportedly low, given the heavy rains that are negatively affecting production.

The centre, which was officially opened by Prime Minister Dr Moeketsi in October last year also enables greater local participation in vegetable production and ultimately improves the economy.
Topela Libenyane, the centre’s Sales Manager said farmers attribute the low production of vegetables to the incessant rains that affect their yield.

Some of those farmers, he said were expecting extremely poor harvest this season owing to the heavy rains that prevented them from planting both maize and beans.
“The farmers are currently supplying the market centre with red cabbage, green beans, green peppers and tomatoes. The facility needs the consistency and convenience, hence it is currently buying other vegetables like potatoes from South Africa,” he said, adding that most of the vegetables purchased in SA were not available in Lesotho.

Lereko Masupha, the Chief Information Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said most fields across the country remained unplanted while others could not be weeded because they were waterlogged.