In a move to enhance collaboration in agricultural research, the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) facilitated an exchange visit for the Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP) implementing partners from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region to the Regional Centre of Leadership in Horticulture in the Kingdom of Lesotho. The visit, which took place from October 31 to November 3, 2024, was aimed at fostering knowledge sharing between two World Bank funded programmes, the FSRP and the Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA).
The event brought together experts from the FSRP Project Implementation Units (PIUs) from Ethiopia, Kenya, IGAD and CCARDESA. Lesotho was chosen as the host for the exchange visit due to its remarkable progress under the second phase of APPSA, which is being implemented in collaboration with Angola with regional coordination by CCARDESA.
APPSA's Impact on Lesotho’s Agricultural Landscape
The delegation’s visit to Lesotho focused on learning from the establishment and ongoing activities of the RCoL in Horticulture, which is expected to serve as a research hub in the region. During the visit, participants toured various APPSA-supported facilities, including the Mokhotlong Research Station in the highlands of Lesotho, which has undergone significant infrastructure upgrades since the commencement of APPSA.
Before the APPSA intervention, the Mokhotlong Research Station had no infrastructure, except fields for conducting research trials. Today, the station is equipped with essential research infrastructure, such as storage buildings, offices, accommodation facilities for staff, water tanks, a borehole, and 8 Automated Weather Stations (AWS) to ensure that research activities can be carried out uninterrupted. The station also boasts of enhanced security measures to protect research trials from unauthorized human and animal interference
Another highlight of the visit was the tour of the DAR main research station in Maseru, where APPSA funding has been used to rehabilitate and construct critical infrastructure, including access road, laboratory block, office block as well as a conference and lodging facility for visiting scientists. These improvements are crucial to supporting agricultural research and strengthening the capacity of Lesotho’s agricultural sector.
Sustainability and Future Collaboration
In addition to learning about APPSA’s achievements, the exchange visit offered a unique opportunity for Lesotho to present its sustainability plans. Dr Lefulesele Lebesa, Director of the Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) in Lesotho, emphasized the long-term impact of APPSA’s work in the country. “We are humbled and honored to have FSRP representatives from the IGAD region visiting us to see the progress we have made as Lesotho. The establishment of the Horticulture RCoL in Lesotho is a major milestone, and we are committed to ensuring its sustainability beyond the project period,” Dr. Lebesa stated.
The delegation also participated in a discussion session in Maseru, where representatives from Ethiopia and Kenya shared insights into their ongoing FSRP activities. FSRP has a component on establishing new or strengthening existing Regional Centres of Excellence (same as RCoLs). Worth noting, Ethiopia and Kenya also implemented the East African Agricultural Productivity Programme (EAAPP), a similar initiative to APPSA, a few years back. Hence, some of the FSRP activities in these countries are building on the legacy of EAAPP, among other proprammes. CCARDESA shared its experience on the regional coordination of RCoL establishment with IGAD. The discussions also touched on how future collaboration can be strengthened to enhance agricultural productivity and food systems resilience across the continent.
Dr Senait Regassa, Regional Coordinator for FSRP in the IGAD region, expressed her gratitude to Lesotho for hosting the learning and exchange event and commended the country’s achievements under APPSA. “It is clear that APPSA has made a lasting impact in Lesotho, and we are inspired by the remarkable work we have seen in this country. This visit has provided us with valuable insights that will guide the future development of RCoLs in the IGAD region,” Dr Regassa said. She added that the FSRP in the IGAD region is committed to strengthening regional collaboration and ensuring that the outcomes of this visit contribute to the broader goals of building resilient food systems in the Horn of Africa and beyond.
Looking Ahead
Both Lesotho and the visitors from the “Horn of Africa” are optimistic about the future of agricultural research and development in the region. The establishment of Regional Centres of Leadership (RCoLs) is seen as a vital step towards strengthening agricultural systems and ensuring that the benefits of these initiatives extend well beyond the project period. With continued collaboration and knowledge sharing, the countries involved in the Food Systems Resilience Programme are poised to make lasting strides in transforming Africa’s food systems.
