The Prime Minister, Mr. Pakalitha Mosisili says this year's success in block farming is an indication that Basotho are capable of producing food.

The Prime Minister said this at the end of field visits at Tsikoane, Mpharane and Kolojane in the Leribe district on Thursday.

Mr. Mosisili called for expansion and intensive implementation of block farming policy for people to attain food security and sell surplus to other people.

'The important factor is for Basotho to have food for consumption and commercial farming should come as secondary,' he said, adding that hunger deprives people of their dignity, hence the importance of families to produce food for themselves.

The Prime Minister appealed to farmers to engage local available resources to weed their fields, harvest crops and to use cattle for ploughing to minimise the costs.

Furthermore, Mr. Mosisili appealed to people who did not engage in block farming last year to do so in the next cropping so that they would also be in a position to produce more food for their families.

He said, 'These achievements will make the government to see how other sectors could be helped so that they could also expand their businesses by benefiting from loans from the banks'.

He said that it is important that the farmers pay back their loans to maintain good relations with the banks.

Speaking at the same occasion, the Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ramootsi Lehata said his department encouraged farmers to engage in block farming to ensure that a number of fields which were not ploughed in the past are used to produce food.

He said block farming is the answer to food security as farmers are encouraged to use the latest techniques, agricultural inputs and equipment that make it possible for them to produce quality crops.

Meanwhile, farmers commended the government for making it possible for them to access loans from banks. They said this helped them to engage in block farming, saying that they were able to expand their production.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by amongst others Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament and Principal Chief of Peka, Tsikoane and Kolberg.

37,000 hectares were planted in block farming and 386 farmers, who were involved were granted loans by Standard Lesotho Bank.

Source: LENA 08/05/2008