Statement on Protecting Wool and Mohair Farmers
UAT has urged transparent, predictable market access for Lesotho's wool and mohair producers, warning that uncertainty at the point of sale is costing rural households their income.
MASERU — United African Transformation (UAT) has called for transparent and predictable market arrangements for Lesotho's wool and mohair producers, warning that continued uncertainty at the point of sale is eroding the income of rural households that depend on the clip.
Wool and mohair remain among the country's most important rural exports, and the livelihoods of thousands of highland families are tied directly to the price they receive and to how quickly they are paid.
The party's position
UAT holds that farmers are entitled to three basic assurances:
- A transparent price. Producers should be able to see how the price they are offered was arrived at, before they sell.
- Prompt payment. Delays in payment shift the cost of the trade onto the households least able to carry it.
- Value retained at home. More of the clip should be sorted, graded and processed inside Lesotho, so that the value added stays in the country.
The party added that market reform cannot be separated from rural infrastructure. Roads, shearing sheds, storage and reliable water supply determine whether a farmer can get a quality product to market at all.
"You cannot ask a farmer to compete and then leave the road to the shed impassable," the party said. "Protecting this sector means fixing both the market and the ground it stands on."
Issued by the UAT National Office, Maseru.