By: World Poultry Foundation
In 2024, the World Poultry Foundation (WPF) was honored to join the Sustainable Transformation of Enterprises in the Poultry Sector (STEPS) program in Lesotho, a U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food for Progress-funded initiative implemented by Land O’Lakes Venture37 (V37). Our role focused on laying the groundwork for a stronger, more resilient poultry sector through tailored training resources, technical support, and deep collaboration with local stakeholders.
Although the program was unexpectedly canceled in mid-2025 due to broader U.S. government funding cuts, we’re proud of the foundation we helped build and we hope the resources and relationships created during this time continue to support poultry producers in Lesotho for years to come.
“This program gave us the opportunity to co-create something meaningful with local stakeholders—from curriculum tailored to Lesotho’s environment to long-term strategies for sustainable growth. Even though the project ended early, we’re proud of what we accomplished together and hope these tools continue to support farmers on their path forward.” – Maureen Stickel, Director of International Program Development
Strengthening the Poultry Sector in Lesotho
From the start, our work focused on scoping, listening, and tailoring our approach. Through multiple field visits in 2024, our team reviewed existing resources, met with local farmers, and gathered insights to help shape a context-specific training curriculum. With input from a newly formed national working group, we began drafting three comprehensive poultry training manuals: one each for small and medium scale producers working with dual-purpose birds, broilers, and layers.
These manuals were designed to meet the needs of producers in Lesotho’s unique environment, high-altitude, often cold, and with limited existing technical resources. We adapted content accordingly and worked with our South African partner, KwaZulu Natal Poultry Institute (KZNPI), to co-develop accurate, practical, and locally relevant material.
In tandem with curriculum development, WPF supported the professional development of STEPS partner staff. Training trips to South Africa to the KwaZulu Natal Poultry Training Institute (KNZPI) were organized for Rural Self Help Development Agency RSDA and V37 staff, and a similar training for government extension agents was planned. This work was aimed at building long-term capacity in poultry husbandry and management at all levels of the system.
Technical Support for Production Expansion
A core part of our work involved supporting RSDA as they sought to scale up their parent stock (PS) and hatchery operations.WPF delivered a detailed technical assessment and a suite of recommendations to improve RSDA’s biosecurity, housing infrastructure, and operational planning. We also developed a flock placement plan and initiated early-stage business modeling to support their long-term growth strategy. RSDA’s openness to learn and grow will serve the organization and the wider Lesotho poultry ecosystem as they move forward.
Lessons Learned and What Comes Next
Like all development work, this project had its challenges. Working across multiple partners and adapting to local realities required flexibility and trust-building. One of the clearest lessons was the importance of building local capacity early and investing in systems that allow that capacity to grow, whether through a training curriculum, hiring plans, or business support.
This project was terminated by USDA in May 2025. We are disappointed that this program will not continue as planned, but we are incredibly proud of the work our team did alongside the incredible teams at V37, RSDA, KZNPI, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). We hope that the training materials, technical insights, and collaboration model will continue to benefit poultry producers in Lesotho, particularly as the sector explores new opportunities for growth. If you’re a poultry producer, educator, or advisor in Lesotho and want to explore the resources we created, these training manuals and related content are publicly available here.
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