The seed fare is part of OVC Food Security Project that World Vision Lesotho is implementing as a Sub- Recipient of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning with the support of Global Fund Round 7 grant.

The OVC food security project started on June 2008 where 2500 OVC families benefited from the first year of the project. Among the project interventions include giving the Orphans and Vulnerable families access to quality agricultural inputs such as seeds and tools as well as support on-farm seed production. The support is targeting vulnerable households affected by soaring food and commodity prices.

During the seed fare in Mapoteng each beneficiary received a voucher of M287.87 to buy agriculture inputs of their choice at the fare. The displayed tools were spades and the digging forks while displayed seeds were maize, beans, sorghum as well as vegetables such as potatoes, spinach, beetroots, carrots and cabbage.

World Vision Lesotho, Relief and Grants Team Leader, Mr. Marcelius Moyo appealed to beneficiaries to do their part of preparing fields and planting their seeds, as well as weeding their fields to ensure good harvest. He reassured the community of necessary support through training for the sustainability of the project.

He said the support is expected to strengthen the country’s capacity in food security adding that the aim is also to reach out to vulnerable people to contribute in the improvement of their livelihoods.

He indicated that this food security support would mean nothing if the beneficiaries of the project do not give their best to ensure a production of good quality and quantity.

The seed fare event has been attributed by the beneficiaries and suppliers as a win- win situation where both of them benefited from the project. Mr. Tebelo Makhakhe, a local trader supply seeds and tools showed that with supported seeds fare suppliers are able to sell more agriculture inputs which could have been impossible to sell them at once in their shops as the community does not have money.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs ‘Mathabo Lekaea commended Global Fund and World Vision for soliciting help to the needy families as the prices of agricultural inputs were just too high.

The World Vision OVC food security project covers five Areas Development Program (ADP) of World Vision Lesotho namely Taung in Mohale’s hoek, Sekameng and Malumeng in Mafeteng, Kota in Leribe and Mapoteng in Berea. The total of 500 beneficiaries were assisted in each ADP. The beneficiaries are Child Headed Households (CHH) and families with Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

Similar project was implemented last farming season 2008/09 with 2500 beneficiaries and this year the project is extended to new beneficiaries in the same areas. The expectation is that with the first assistance, families will be able to produce their own seeds and use their farming techniques to countinue sustaining food production to curb hunger and chronic poverty in their families.