The Prime Minister, Dr Moeketsi Majoro on Monday officially launched payment of More than 2000 wool and mohair that was sold in 2018-19 at the event held in Qhuthing.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr Majoro said the government has decided to pay farmers who failed to get money from the sale of their auctioned wool and mohair by a foreign company that was engaged in buying wool and mohair from local farmers in 2018-19.
He mentioned that 431 farmers from Quthing whose payments were behind will receive their payments at Post Bank as arranged by the government, saying such farmers’ bank accounts were closed since they have not been active for a long period.
Dr Majoro assured Basotho that this incident will never happen again, adding that farmers are now free to sell their wool and mohair to the companies of their choice.
He noted that the government will offer technical support to address livestock farmers’ challenges.
Speaking at the same event the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Nkaku Kabi said the failure of one foreign company to pay farmers after the sale of their wool has taken a long time hence the government decided to intervene and pay such farmers.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Mr. Mokoma Tau from Mphaki expressed gratitude to the government’s response to a long-time dilemma of their payments of wool and mohair sold in 2018-19.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to involve farmers when making decisions on issues that affect them.
The government has set aside M10 million for payment of wool and mohair farmers who were not paid after the sale of their auctioned wool in 2018-2019.
The Prime Minister also met farmers from different areas in Quthing who receive services from Mount Moorosi Post Bank.
Source: LENA 09/11/2021