Farmers struggle as drought ravages Lesotho

For Lesotho farmer Setsabo Mothibeli it has been too long since the rain came, as he stands desolately among dried maize stalks in the barren field he should have been harvesting.

Another year of drought, another failed harvest and the news could not be worse for the small country. "The stalks are so dry that they are useless even for the animals," says a frustrated Mothibeli, tossing aside the dried remains of maize that never grew to maturity. "We didn't harvest anything this year. We are stranded because even animals we were hoping to sell have been affected by the drought. There was no fodder for the animals so they are very thin and can't be sold at the market."

Driving out of the capital, Maseru, field after field of knee-high withered maize bears testimony to the devastation wrought by the country's worst drought in 30 years. Each desiccated field would have supported scores of people and livestock, who now pick desperately among the parched remains of the crops. Even though it would have been harvesting season, some farmers can be seen trying to replough their fields in the vain hope that something will grow and feed their families.

The brown and dusty landscape stretches endlessly, mercilessly, with the only hope for the Basotho that international donors will heed the call for more food aid as government declares a state of emergency.

In the village near Mafeteng, about 80km south of Maseru where Mothibeli lives, the situation is especially dire and the World Food Programme (WFP) is bringing pulses, maize and vegetable oil, which will see 29 households (158 people) through the next month.

"This is one of the most hit villages from the drought. We expected to only be helping them for six months but then again we had this drought crisis," says WFP field monitor assistant Nthoneng Mahao.

According to WFP country director Bhim Udas, about 400,000 people across the country - a fifth of the population - will need food assistance as only 72,000 tonnes of cereal was produced for a population needing 328,000 tonnes.

The true depth of the crisis would only be felt towards the end of the year and early 2008 when current stocks run out and locals feel the effect of rising food prices.

"About 80% of Basothos depend on agriculture and there is only 10% of arable land," said Udas. He notes the irony in that the dehydrated country is considered water rich, and its main source of income is from the water it sells to South Africa through the controversial Lesotho Highlands Water Development Project. Lesotho, entirely surrounded by South Africa, makes about R25-million ($3.5 million) a month from supplying water to its giant neighbour. "Water is one of the main incomes for government but the income is not shared with the people," he says.

According to Mahao, "The government making water available for people, it's a matter of accessibility. We don't have taps, there are no water pipes. We seem to be the main exporter of water, yet we don't have it for ourselves."

The mostly rural country is massively food insecure and hard hit by HIV/Aids.

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