Horticulture Incubation Hub and Training Centre
The Horticulture Incubation Hub and Training Centre provides support for scaling commercial horticulture farming in Lesotho, building on the experience of the current pilot deciduous fruit farms, and addressing gaps in the value chain in access to suitable land, infrastructure, extension services, skills, finance, and markets while promoting climate smart agricultural practices. The facility is based in Mahobong, Leribe at the former Mahobong Campus of the Institute of Extra Mural Studies (EIMS).
01
PHASE 1: Pre-Incubation
- Setting eligibility criteria
- Call for applications
- Beneficiary selection
- Training on soil preparation, irrigation, tree establishment, maintenance of trees, recordkeeping, basic agricultural economics, logistics and marketing
- Selection of beneficiaries for Phase 2
02
PHASE 2 Incubation (15 farmers or groups)
- Incubatees signed MOU with incubator – minimum incubation period of 5 years
- Loan facilitation (CAPEX & OPEX)
- Identification of suitable soils, orchard layout & irrigation design
- Advanced Training – see Pre-incubation training)
- Technical support (irrigation, plant nutrition, pest control, tree maintenance – pruning, infrastructure maintenance
- Seedling orders and other inputs
- Collective sourcing of inputs for orchard establishment & maintenance
- Land prep and construction of trellising and nets (by farmer with support)
- Establishment of new orchards and rehab of existing (if necessary)
- Access to mechanisation pool
- Grading, packaging, cold storage and processing (lower grades)
- Facilitate market access (local, regional and international)
- Marketing logistics – produce to markets
- Business space and access to computers and the internet
- Information hub (research, technical, market intelligence)
- Stakeholder management & facilitation (including local authority)