| Project ID: 1022
Executive Board Document: EB-98-64-R-19-Rev-1
Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme for the Mountain
Areas
This five-year IFAD-initiated and exclusively financed development
programme will be unde taken wi thin the framework of Lesotho's
Agricultural Sector Investment Programme (ASIP). The programme aims
at increasing the productivity of the agricultural sector through
institutional and policy reforms backed by complementary investments
to strengthen local capacity and enhance the delivery of core support
services in response to the needs and priorities of smallholder
farmers. Within the ASIP frame-work and consistent with the overriding
national goal of poverty alleviation, the primary objective of the
programme is to improve food security and nutritional status among
households in the mountain districts of Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek
and Thaba Tseka, where poverty is more widespread than in other
parts of the cou ntry. This will be achieved through:
(i) effective and efficient delivery of core agricultural support
services;
(ii) systematic participation of beneficiaries in programme planning
and implementation; and
(iii) strengthening the local institutional capacity of district
administrations as focal points for programme formulation and execution.
The second objective of the programme is to increase household
farm incomes through:
(i) crop diversification and production, including the promotion
of simple technologyduction of improved crop production techrrigation
systems, and the introduction of improved crop production technologies
that have been successfully tested and adopted by smallholder farmers
in other parts of the country;
(ii) improved livestock production, including the promotion and
adoption of better animal health, nutrition and husbandry practices,
the introduction of cost-effective measures to curb and eliminate
rampant stock theft, and investments to improve the quality and
quantity of wool, mohair and meat; and
(iii) stabilization of rangelands, including pasture rehabilitation,
formation of grazing associations, demarcation and declaration of
range management areas, and the production and use of dry matter
to ensure sustainable stocking rates critical to arresting land
degradation.
The target group will constitute approximately 72% of the rural
population in the three mountain districts, i.e., about 45 000 households
or 227 000 people, who currently cannot meet from their own production
more than 50% of the mean household consumption necessary to maintain
the minimum daily requirement of 2 500 calories. It is estimated
that, by the end of the programme implementation period, about 26
300 households will either have become self-sufficient in food-grain
requirements or be able to meet a significantly higher proportion
(70%) from their own production.
Innovative Features:
The strengthening of local institutional capacity at the district
level and among community-based organizations, combined with beneficiary
participation in formulating the annual workplans and budgets, will
improve the relevance and sustainability of programme investments.
The adaptation of the so-called Machobane farming system, including
backyard gardens for landless households, to the highland agro-ecology
will make a substantial contribution to improving household food
security and nutrition among the poorest segments of rural Bashoto.
The introduction of improved flock and wool classing will contribute
to increasing household incomes on a sustainable basis.
Loan amount:
SDR 6.4 million (approximately USD 8.4 million) on highly concessional
terms.
Total programme costs:
Estimated at USD 10.9 million, of which USD 2.5 million will be
provided by the Government.
Cooperating institution:
UNOPS.
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