Serumula Development Association delivered a paper on the above mentioned topic last month during a National Forum that was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security at the National Convention Center. The summary of issues highlighted by the Association in the forum was derived mainly from the three National Government Documents: (1) Agriculture Sector Strategy- 2003, (2) National Food Security Policy and (3) National Action Plan for Food Security: - 2007- 2017.

Three Scenarios of food production exist in Lesotho: - Conventional, subsistence agriculture; where farmers grow maize, sorghum, wheat, beans, peas and fodder. This has been practiced since colonial days. The second set has been Home Gardening where vegetables and fruit trees are planted around homes and villages. This activity has been intensively promoted by Serumula and other NGOs. The third component has been the controversial Block Farming whereby a group of farmers are producing grain.

Important Food Security Policy Strategic Issues that were highlighted which require review include the following:

1. Food Security remains a major challenge for Lesotho. It is said that most Basotho buy rather than grow their own food. A multi-disciplinary approach must be adopted by involvement of civil society organizations to change the people’s mindsets. NGOs are said to be good at this and therefore conducive environment has to be created for this to happen. One of the recommendations would be to contract NGOs with the Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security budget to implement some of the food security related projects.
    

2. There must be a thorough economic analysis of grain production in Lesotho, bearing in mind that we have a very strong maize producing neighbor (RSA) with large, fertile tracts of agricultural land(conquered territory).
    

3. Issues such as management of Government and its capacity to deliver services seem to be dwindling. This calls for working with a broader range of partners such as private sector and Civil Society organizations in pushing some of the food security issues. The question of planting maize in the Lowlands of Lesotho under Block Farming needs to be re-evaluated in relation to its competiveness with the near by Free State.
    

4. It is equally important to examine the realism of the Policy. The implementational, structural and mechanisms arrangements are not functional. The active management and monitoring of performance of the policy is equally important for effectiveness. These areas have been problematic in the implementation of the Food Security & Plan.
    

5. Lesotho current Local Government Reform and Decentralized Development Planning initiatives are found to be highly relevant to the food security sector. Analysis has to be made as to whether these structures are playing any significant role in the Overall National Economic Development.

The detailed views of Serumula on the recommendations and the way forward have been captured in the paper presented. They relate to Technical, Planning and Implementation Strategies as well as structures and mechanisms. In conclusion; one of the recommendations is that the National Development Plan should integrate enhancement of food security in a convincing and comprehensive set of measures to alleviate poverty, complimenting other initiatives to stimulate growth and employment. Therefore SDA recommends 10% of our National Budget to Agriculture and Food Security.