SMALL MANUFACTURERS TO BE ASSISTED WITH MARKET
 
The Department of Marketing in Mafeteng has been allocated M200.000 to be used to promote marketing activities for small manufacturers in the district. The Assistant Marketing Officer, Mrs 'Mamojabeng Habahaba told Lesotho News Agency (LENA) on Thursday 05 September,2002 that the money would be used to construct a market place, where manufacturers can exhibit their products. Mrs. Habahaba, added that a permanent market is needed for small manufacturers, as they would be able to promote themselves by selling their products to the public.

Although she could not disclose when the construction of a market would begin, she stated that it would enable the small manufacturers to stop complaining about market, saying their products stay for a long time before they could be bought. She further, said the marketing department has already equipped most of the small manufacturers with marketing management skills on costing, pricing and packaging, and this would enable them to market their products as expected.

One of the small manufacturers, Mr. Motlatsi Tiheli, who is engaged in crop farming, said they really need a permanent market place in the district to exhibit their products for traders and consumers. He said, a high competition between the small manufacturers and traders prevent them to market their products accordingly, since most of the traders, who are supposed to sell their products at wholesale price sell
them in small chunks and thus preventing the small manufacturers to sell their products.

'' When a small manufacturer sells a bag of potatoes for M20.00 a businessman would sell it for M18.00 and in this case our products are not being bought unless we sell on credit,'' he said. The Lesotho government with the main aim to enable small manufacturers to promote their products has allocated the money.

05 Septemer,2002

  SOURCE: LENA