Julius Maboloka is a vibrant and passionate young Mosotho farmer. We met Julius while meeting the beneficiaries of the Lesotho Smallholder Agriculture Development Project (SADP).
Julius’ passion is evident and he proudly narrates the story of how he “inherited” farming from his father. Despite this passion for farming, he has faced various challenges trying to run and grow his business. Rough weather conditions and having to plant crops according to the changing seasons have all posed problems for Julius, who used to plant in the open field.
Through the SADP, a project supported by the World Bank, 55,000 farmers in Lesotho have applied for and won public grants that have helped them increase their productivity and have better access to markets. Julius is among these beneficiaries and he is now able to plant under shade tents to protect his crops from harsh weather. With the grant money, he was also able to dig and bore hole and get a generator to pump water. With these updates, Julius is now able to produce crops year-round, which he supplies to local shops as well as large chain stores in Lesotho and neighboring South Africa.
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