Commercial irrigated farming across 3,000 hectares of community land, using double-cropping systems for winter wheat and summer maize and beans, producing approximately 30,600 tonnes of grain annually. Output will supply local millers and an LNDC processing facility producing instant maize porridge, samp, and canned and packaged beans, with annual processing demand of approximately 4,600 tonnes. Lesotho currently produces only around 30% of the cereals it consumes.
Project overview
Investment opportunity
The project offers an opportunity to participate in a commercial grain production and processing platform designed to strengthen domestic food security and reduce reliance on imported cereals. Production from 3,000 hectares of irrigated farmland will supply local millers and an LNDC processing facility producing maize- and bean-based food products. Total project capitalisation is estimated at US$16.8 million, with opportunities for investors, lenders and strategic agricultural partners to support project development, processing operations and market expansion.
Investment types sought
Project status
Development stage
Structuring & preparation
Current status / progress to date
A commercial grains business plan has been completed, and a pilot programme has successfully demonstrated wheat production on community land. Grain harvested from the pilot has been sold to a local miller. The project is advancing site and water assessments, processing facility planning, irrigation development and investor engagement activities.
Additional project information
- Lead agency
- Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC)
Expected impact
Jobs created / supported
The project is expected to create approximately 150 permanent jobs across farming and processing operations, together with around 250 seasonal employment opportunities. In addition, approximately 1,500 landholder households are expected to benefit through participation in community land leasing arrangements.
Economic & development benefits
- Bring fallow land back into productive use through large-scale irrigated agriculture
- Reduce reliance on imported cereals and strengthen domestic food security
- Supply local millers and increase utilisation of existing processing capacity
- Establish Lesotho's first maize-product and bean-processing facility
- Support agricultural productivity through irrigation, mechanisation, storage and aggregation services
Climate & resilience benefits
- Provide reliable irrigation systems that reduce exposure to drought and erratic rainfall and support more consistent agricultural production
- Strengthen climate resilience through the use of certified seed, irrigation infrastructure and crop insurance
- Reduce post-harvest losses through on-farm storage and grain-handling facilities
- Improve national food security through increased domestic grain production
- Support sustainable land management practices and opportunities to enhance long-term soil health and productivity
Contact
Contact team
For more information about this project, please contact the Commonwealth Investment Platform team.