QACHA'S NEK – The Qacha's Nek Wool and Mohair Growers Association (QWMGA) are not happy with the issues regarding the buying and selling of wool and Mohair.
business
July 4, 2018
2 min read
Wool, mohair farmers blast minister
The QWMGA Secretary, Mr. Tšele Matabane, said the government has put their lives on hold since the Minister of Small Business, Cooperatives and Marketing Mr. Chalale Phori stopped the processing and auctioning of wool and mohair outside Lesotho.
He said since they started sheering in April and now they are stuck with the mohair in their sheds and they fear that the commodity will be affected with moist and other factors thus destroy it.
Mr. Matabane said the minister decided to change the regulations on wool and mohair without consulting them and now they have the court order, which was effected on June 12, 2018, that grants them the right to export their product.
He quoted from page 1, Section V, of the Constitution published on May 3, 1993 saying it does not allow what has been done by the ministry. He says they have been deprived of their rights to do as they please with their products.
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“The case between wool and mohair farmers countrywide and the government of Lesotho is still in the courts of law and according to our observation, that will take forever,” he said. Mr. Matabane pointed out that the idea was good, only if it was well communicated to them as farmers. According to Mr. Matabane, right now things are just being imposed on them while the expectation is for them to sit back and watch.
“We still have the authority to continue with exportation because we have the court order. Our produce is getting destroyed now,” he explained. He further added that international buyers are now reluctant to purchase their commodity due to the disease that was said to have spread, and the relevant stakeholders have not released anything that says the wool and mohair is okay. Mr. Matabane said they are going to continue with what they have been doing before for the sake of their families and production. Lena
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