Taking stock of WAMPP strides

23
Taking stock of WAMPP strides
Taking stock of WAMPP strides

Africa-PressLesotho. The Wool and Mohair Promotion Project (WAMPP) Project Manager Retšelisitsoe Khoalenyane has recently detailed the exit strategy of this project post its shelf life.

Last week the project management in concert with the Lesotho National Wool and Mohair Growers Association (LNWMGA) took the journalists and representatives of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on a guided tour

of the shearing studs, ranches and the fields where the livestock feed is produced. The Quthing farm is run by the LNWMGA. The project has three components which are: wool and mohair fibre

handling and marketing, climate-smart rangeland management and improved livestock production management. Khoalenyane said the project life ends in June 2022.

WAMPP is “designed to address the issues of rural poverty and food insecurity in the context of climate change and the increasing vulnerability of poor livestock producers.

Most of its activities are targeted at the poor rural places in the mountain regions of the country where food insecurity and poverty are said to be rife.

In preparation for its end, the Project Manager said the processes are underway to facilitate its continuity. Asked if there is a skills transfer initiative going on, he said they

have a comprehensive farm management plan for the farm. He also indicated that they had sourced the consultant to advise them on feeding and how it should be run.

On the breeding of merino sheep and angora goats, they said nine “stock” rams were bought and 286 ewes were bought for the Quthing stud. The National Breeding Expert Dr Puleng Matebesi Ranthimo said every time

10 surrounding areas to the Quthing farmsbecome beneficiaries of the once off vaccination when the animals’ vaccine

roll-out campaign is carried out. This she said is so that their livestock does not infect their sheep and goats. With the improved breed of merino sheep, the National Breeding Expert

said the average weight of the ordinary sheep is 3.5kg while the merino sheep wool weighs 5.5kg. She further promised that the process to cultivate and sell semen is

underway. Asked what challenges are confronting the Quthing farm, she said they do not have semen keeping facilities. The other challenge she pointed out is the

absence of the pregnancy scanning machine which will reveal if the sheep are carrying twins, for improved animal welfare. LNWMGA Chairperson Mokoenehi Thinyane said the collection from wool and

mohair sale is deposited into a designated account. He said they have the cows whose milk feed the lambs at the farm. Thinyane said such funds will be put into use once the project has

reached completion. He said the project has procured a tractor and harvest machine for their organisation. There are two farms which are sponsored by the project, the Quthing and

Mokhotlong farm. The Chairperson highlighted that they plough blocks of 63 hectares for the sheep and goats. He said the LNWMGA shoulders all the expenses from

ploughing to harvesting. WAMPP is slated to open a processing centre at Berea, it will have washing, wool and mohair classifying and shearing of wool and mohair facilities.

The project is reported to have acquired the smart weather reading machine for the Lesotho Meteorological Services so that farmers are abreast with the weather updates and patterns.

During the merino auction which was carried in March, at the Quthing shearing stud, it is reported that M1.5 million was made from the sales. Also, they, have made sales of M280 000 wool.

The agreement is a seven years contract entered into by the government of Lesotho and WAMPP. It is implemented through the Ministry of Agriculture and

Food Security under the Department of Livestock Services. The U$ 34.2 million just over M487 000 000 is both a loan and a grant from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a grant from Adaptation for Smallholder

Agriculture Programme (ASAP), a loan from Opec Fund for International Development and the Lesotho National Wool and Mohair Growers Association (LNWMGA).

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here