Comparative Analysis of Cereal Crop Production Grown in Lesotho (Published)

Production of cereal crops is a thriving industry in Lesotho comprising of maize, sorghum and wheat. The percentage change in composition of these cereal crops in terms of production, yield and area is not well documented. The objects of study were therefore to (i) compare the changes in the composition of cereal crops and (ii) determine trend in area, production and yield from time-period 1961-2017. The secondary data collected from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAOSTAT) was used for analysis. The study was carried out at Maseru in Lesotho. Data were subjected to Excel in the Microsoft office software version 10.  The results of study showed that maize was dominating sorghum and wheat in production, area planted and yield. Maize constituted 61% of cereal production; yield productivity was 60% and area occupied 65%. Sorghum production comprised 22%, yield 34% and area 24%. The last performer was wheat with production of 17%, 11% area and 6% yield. It can be deduced from results that maize is most preferred, followed by sorghum and then wheat lastly.

Keywords: Area, Production, Yield, cereal crops, trendline

Trend in Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Production Grown in Lesotho (Published)

Common bean is a queen of legumes and a major source of protein and iron for many people in Lesotho. It is speculated that bean production, area planted and yield of common beans have been erratic throughout the period of 58 years from 1961-2017. This has not been verified statistically and documented, hence this study has been conducted to dispel or dispute the speculation. The object of the study was therefore to (a) estimate the trend in the production, area and yield of common bean over a period of six decades, (b) identify the key factors influencing bean production. Data on trend of common beans were obtained from Bureau of Statistics (2017), while data for factors affecting production were obtained from Lesotho Meteorological Service (2017). Excel spread sheet was employed to determine the trend of bean over the period of 58 years and ANOVA was to establish the significance of the factors contributing towards bean production. The results showed an average increase of 44% in the production, 42% increase in area planted and 2% decrease in yield. There were droughts and peaks during this time-period differing greatly. The factors of production did not significantly influence the bean production.

Keywords: Area, Common bean, Lesotho, Yield, production trend