By: Nothembabane Qechane
Maseru
On March 04th 2024 the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security And Nutrition Lesotho held a market day at Pitso Ground, in Maseru. The purpose being to enable producers by connecting them with their potential customers.
“It has been so long since the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition Lesotho has had this kind of market event. Most times market events are the same, with the difference depending on the community project that runs it,” says Ntlaloe Mokhothoane, the organizer of the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition Market Lesotho.
This event is organised with main stakeholder being the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition Lesotho, which focused different areas of farming. These include but are not limited to nutrition, livestock and crops. Such activations benefit farmers in ways that condition the mental muscle about availed products by providing more knowledge them and thus evoking interest in more local production.
They also invited different sectors with different services and goods. These included banks, insurances, farmers, other government stakeholders and traders such as Shoprite, Fruits and Veg’ and Pick’n’Pay. This was a networking ground for businesses, inspired by the need and necessity to ease wholesale trade. Mokhothoane says they through the market are working on improvements on various aspects that include prioritization of finances to enable the mandate of such events. By so doing they encourage producers to see farming as their stepping stone into business.
According to Itumeleng Moleko the owner of Atlehang Manufacturing, who specializes in selling farming products while consulting on the aspect of nutrition, the market is important and reliable for real time purchases and any other interactions between different class groups of stakeholders of the said industry. Her brand manufactures juice that’s conditioned to contain atleast 5 fruit food ingredients – assuring the delivery of different essential salts.
She admits having learned of her market preference at one such market place where clients gave her insight on her rebranding opportunities. She obliged and now happily serves a pleased market.
The market continues to serve as solid grounds for interaction and performance assessment for different brands. She advices more corporate stakeholders to uphold attendance so as to actively realize the benefits of such activations.