30 June 2025 by Pascalinah Kabi

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A clear, dry blue sky stretches endlessly over the rugged mountains of Thaba-Tseka, not a single cloud in sight. The sunlight spills across this vast canvas, sharp and bright, revealing every crease of the rocky terrain and every dusty path winding into Thaba-Tseka town.

It feels open, endless—breathable—mirroring the quiet excitement building at the Thaba-Tseka Lesotho Agricultural College. Inside the college hall, the mood shifts. Thaba-Tseka District Administrator Tlali Mphafi stands tall on stage, his voice calm but his words chilling:

“There is a miller in Maputsoe that imports cereals from Russia. Some even come from Ukraine. These are countries at war, yet they have such strong production systems that they are able to sell food to us in the middle of war.”

A heavy silence hangs as the words sink in. According to the United Nations COMTRADE database, Lesotho imported wheat and meslin worth M2.2 million (US$123,390) from Russia in 2020—a statistic updated only in June 2025.

LNDC opens new markets

Mphafi had just returned from the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) Road Show held in Thaba-Tseka the previous day, where he witnessed firsthand the “lucrative” agricultural opportunities waiting for farmers willing to take a leap.

And here, at an event organised by the Rural Self-Help Association (RSDA) in partnership with Slow Food’s Cooks Alliance—an event meant to build bridges between farmers and cooks in Thaba-Tseka—Mphafi seized the moment to challenge the room.

“Let’s meet with the LNDC so that cereals produced in Thaba-Tseka can find a ready market in Maputsoe. There is a market. There is money. I’m saying right now—RSDA, Paray, Thaba-Tseka Farmers Forum, everyone involved—let’s meet with LNDC. Let’s make sure our produce is bought by that miller in Maputsoe.”

Outside, the sky remains calm and blue. But inside the hall, Mphafi’s call hangs heavy, daring the farmers of Thaba-Tseka to believe that their rugged soil can feed a nation—and that the open sky above them may yet be a promise of prosperity.

“I am telling you, there’s a miller in Maputsoe, and as I speak, it’s buying cereals—maize, wheat, and others—from Russia and Ukraine. Why? Because they want supplies in big tonnes. We are producing right here. Let’s meet with LNDC now. Our available produce must be bought by that miller,” Mphafi said.

According to the LNDC, although lacking extensive plains that would facilitate commercial cereal farming on a large scale, Lesotho is an agrarian country. It indicates that 70 percent of the country’s 2.4 million population lives in rural areas where: “the workforce is heavily engaged in subsistence agriculture.”

While Lesotho is currently importing “most” of its cereals, the LNDC said: “the production of cereals such as maize, wheat, oats, sorghum and sunflower could go hand in hand with investing in processing facilities to add value to the products which could then be exported.”

‘Makarabelo Makhoele from RDSA indicated that farmers in Lesotho stand a better chance to produce quality produce for bigger markets because: “Lesotho’s water is clean, and our soil has not been exposed to harmful chemicals — especially in places like Thaba-Tseka.”

While the ambition is evidently there, RSDA and Slow Food’s Cooks Alliance are for now concentrating their efforts to ensuring that farmers’ produce – from farm to pot – ends on people’s plates.  

“We are here to celebrate the collaboration between farmers and cooks. Denmark Lesotho Network and Slow Food International supported us in taking our vision forward, in finding solutions now that farmers’ produce cannot enter the shops. We said: if the produce can’t enter the market, let it go straight to the plate.

“That’s when we started collaborating with Slow Food Lesotho. Through this partnership, we discovered the Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance. The Cooks’ Alliance said they will buy the farmers’ produce, cook it in their restaurants and small businesses, and eat it. Let me be clear — just because the produce isn’t in supermarkets, it doesn’t mean it is of poor quality,” Makhoele said.

From farm to plate

On its part, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, indicated that the collaboration between farmers and cooks was perfect recipe for growth.

“For us at the Ministry of Agriculture, it means a lot—because our main mandate is to make sure farmers produce, cooks prepare nutritious meals, and our nation remains healthy. This is our collective responsibility, from production to consumption,” said Lebohang Moshoeshoe.

Moshoeshoe added: “This initiative will lighten the burden on our farmers, who will now know exactly where to take their produce—and who will use it. Unlike in the past when there was no clear or reliable market. At the same time, cooks will be able to tell farmers exactly what they need grown, to feed the people of Thaba-Tseka.”

On his part, Thaba-Tseka Farmers Forum deputy chairperson Thabo Ntoa indicated that there is a money in farming, encouraging those who gathered in the Thaba-Tseka Lesotho College of Education to try a career in agribusiness.

Ntoa said the collaboration between farmers and cooks has closed a huge gap of lack of access to the market.

“Farmers used to complain bitterly about the lack of market. We didn’t know who our market was, because the cooks didn’t buy from us—they sourced elsewhere or from other districts. But today, we are happy. Look at my shiny cheeks—they tell you there is money,” Ntoa said.

Producing enough cereals to replace wheat imports from Russia would not only create a ready market for Lesotho’s farmers but also ensure that consumers have access to good, clean food. According to Ska Moteane, National Coordinator of the Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance in Lesotho, the collaboration between farmers and cooks is about making sure everyone eats food that is truly suitable for them.

“We call these ‘good foods,’ right? Good foods are those that won’t make you sick. They are beneficial to the people around us and to the environment. They should not cause harm.

“When we talk about clean food, we mean food grown without harmful chemicals, food that does not pollute our environment. That’s what clean food means here at Slow Food Lesotho.

“And then we talk about fair food. This means producers must be paid fairly, and consumers must also be treated fairly. Prices should be fair to both sides. Employers must treat producers and cooks with fairness and without discrimination,” Moteane said.